WELLNESS & WELL-BEING
The
Trickiness of
Trick-or-Treat
Candy
KEEPING HOLIDAYS FUN AND HEALTHY
By Shannon Hayes Buescher
H
alloween is probably every child’s favorite holiday - the
dressing up in fun or scary costumes, deciding which
jokes to tell, the smell of candy, and the excitement in
the air. It’s a night of fun, laughter, screaming, and lots
of sugar.
It's the sugar overload of this electric night that sends some parents
into dread and worry. Many parents feel conflicted on how to handle
their child’s candy allowance.
Some subscribe to the candy fairy or switch-witch approach. The
children are allowed a couple of pieces of candy on Halloween night, and
later, when the children are in bed, the candy is switched out for a toy. It
makes me sad just thinking about this happening.
What I have learned as a dietitian and a parent is that the more you
control food, especially sweets, the worse the relationship with that food
you create. Dietitian and family therapist, Ellyn Satter, author of “Child of
Mine,” states, “When you have a treat-deprived child, the child will beg,
whine and sneak these foods. Children who have regular access to sweets
and forbidden foods eat them moderately.”
Satter has a wonderful philosophy with Halloween that I have
implemented with my own children and share with my clients. Halloween
is such a great learning opportunity for both the parent and child.
On Halloween night, let your children have as much candy as they
want, and do the same the next day. I always tell my children that they can
have as much as they want, but to make sure they are checking in with
how their tummy is feeling. Of course, we have had Halloweens where
this did not happen, but it is such a great lesson for them to be aware
of how they feel when they have had too much candy. The key is not to
shame them if this happens. The likelihood that it will happen is pretty
big - they are children. But the more that candy isn’t a big deal, and they
have the permission to have it, the chances of it happening the next day
are much less.
The days after, you can set some ground rules. They can stay in control
of their stash, as long as they follow the rules. They can have a couple of
pieces after meals and as much as they want for a snack. It’s always a good
idea to offer something with the candy that has protein and fat, such as
milk or nuts, to help level out the blood sugars. This is why after a meal is
a great time to offer candy, because the protein and fat from the meal will
help to slow down the blood sugar spike. If they can manage their candy
in this way, they can keep it. Otherwise, you