CHOA Healthy Halloween tips without eliminating the fun!
We love Halloween, watching the parade of neighborhood kids going door-to-door trick or treating. We enjoy indulging in some of our favorite treats ourselves. But it’s an annual rite of passage that screams for moderation.
Did you know that the typical pumpkin of Halloween candy can have 365 terrifying teaspoons of sugar and a frightful 11,000 calories? That’s the sugar equivalent of 12 double-scoop ice cream cones and the same number of calories recommended for a child to consume in seven days! Just imagine the belly aches!
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life wellness experts have some tips to help families enjoy the fun of Halloween without lingering belly aches and lasting health impacts:
Eat a Healthy Dinner: To curb the temptation to snack on candy while trick or treating, eat a healthy dinner as a family before hitting the neighborhood streets. If you don’t have time to prepare a full meal, pick up a rotisserie chicken and whip up a quick bowl of brown rice, or make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Introduce the Switch Witch: Instead of tempting your family for days, let your kids select 3-5 candy favorites and then leave the rest for the Switch Witch to replace it with a toy like a soccer ball, jump rope or hula hoop, while the kids are sleeping.
