Halloween season is almost here and that means candy, sugar, dyes and more candy. How can we enjoy this holiday without compromising our healthy eating goals? Here are a few strategies for your family.
Pass Out Non-Food Treats for a Healthy Halloween
It is so fun to go from house to house and request treats, but it doesn’t have to be sugar that your child picks up. Here are a few non-food ideas to pass out.
- Stickers
- Bubbles
- Playdough
- Spider rings
- Toothbrushes
- Coins for the child’s piggy bank
- Temporary tattoos
- Glow sticks or necklaces
- Bouncy balls
- Mini nail polishes
- Bead necklaces
- Miniature cars, soldiers or figurines
- Tiny bottles of water
For more information, check out the Teal Pumpkin Project.
Trick-or-Treat, but Get Rid of the Candy
Here are a few creative ideas for getting candy out of the house, without upsetting your kiddos.
- Trade Brain Bucks for candy at home or in your local Brain Balance center.
- Donate candy to the troops.
- Trade treats for tricks by The Sugar Goblin.
- Instead of eating the candy, use it to do science experiments.
- Find a local dentist who will buy the candy back.
Other Ways to Celebrate a Candy-Free Halloween
- Have a Halloween craft party or pumpkin decorating party that doesn’t center around candy.
- Have an outdoor campfire (or an indoor campfire with LED candles) and tell ghost stories
- Build a haunted house and invite friends over to walk through
- Paint faces
- Bob for apples
- Have a scavenger hunt
- Have a pumpkin carving (or pumpkin painting) contest and offer a non-food prize
- Go skating at a local roller-rink in costume
Healthy nutrition is a big part of The Brain Balance Program! Known as The Balance 360 System, our approach to nutrition is a step-by-step system that busy parents can easily follow to manage your child’s nutrition and optimize a balanced brain. The Balance 360 System is specifically designed to help children become healthy eaters. It is not a weight loss program. It is a logical and structured system that puts nutrition on the right track.
To learn more about the Brain Balance Program and our whole-child approach, contact us online or find a center near you.
