Help take temptation away from tiny trick-or-treaters
Massillion Independent, Nov. 1, 2007
By ERIN PUSTAY, Erin.Pustay@IndeOnline.com
 PHOTO BY KEVIN WHITLOCK/THE INDEPENDENT Five-year-old Corbin McDew looks to family and friends before approaching ghoulish Mike Slider, who was handing out candy at his cousin's house in Navarre. |
There's a reason trick-or-treaters come to your door with pillowcases in hand. Chances are, it's the only size sack that can hold all the precious candy they'll collect in just an hour and a half's time.
The biggest problem, though, is that when those little devils come home with their booty, they are carrying dozens of tiny temptations right through the front door.
Tiffany Evans, a registered dietitian with Aultman Weight Management, offered some tricks for avoiding all those treats that may be lying around the house now that Halloween is over and done. Evans said there are ways to keep kids from dipping too often into the glorious candy stash.
One way is to make a deal with your kids, Evans said. Let them know they are only allowed to have one piece of candy a day or one piece every other day.
There are even ways to help turn those sugar cravings into lessons on healthy eating.
"Make a rule for you kids," Evans suggested, "that if they want a piece of candy, they have to eat a fruit or vegetable first. That way, they are getting their other nutrients as well."
Having all the extra candy around the house can be just as much of a temptation for moms and dads as it is for kids. Dipping into the candy stash is natural, Evans said, but be aware of how many treats you take.
"If you are reaching for a Snickers or a Three Musketeers instead of an apple or vegetable," Evans said, "you are filling up on empty calories instead of the nutrients your body needs."
A good way to savor each chocolatey treat -- and cut back on the overall number of candy bars you'll eat -- is to freeze them. Frozen candy treats are harder to chew and therefore take longer to eat, giving you more satisfaction.
Above all else, Evans said, don't create the temptation for anyone. Keep all Halloween candy treats stored away in a drawer or cupboard where you don't have to see them.
"Out of sight," Evans said, "out of mind."
Halloween with all its extra calories is also a good time to make more of an effort to get active. Taking a walk as a family, raking leaves and jumping in the piles or playing together outside will give the kids a chance to burn off some of the extra calories they are taking in.
Evans did warn, though, that candy is chocked full of fat -- specifically saturated fat. That, no matter how active you are, is never good for you health, Evans said.
