How to Limit Halloween Candy

Halloween is almost here, and with it comes the annual predicament of balancing fun with healthy living. So, how do we limit all the Halloween candy our kids are so excited about?

We know the amount of sugar presented to kids at this holiday is absurd, and we know that excess sugar leads to tooth decay and a whole host of other issues. Unfortunately, many of our American traditions involve copious amounts of sugar!

Birthdays = Cake
Easter = Chocolate Eggs & Jelly Beans
Christmas = Cookies
Independence Day = BBQ (full of sugar!) & Ice Cream
Thanksgiving = Pumpkin Pie
And of course, Halloween = Candy

However, I believe that traditions are important; they give kids a sense of safety and something to look forward to. We can’t get rid of Halloween, but it is one of the hardest traditions to separate from sugar. I don’t think the answer is to take away all the sugar, but teaching opportunities can abound for learning moderation, sharing/giving, and savoring.

Learning Moderation

Spacing out the candy stash for a specific amount of time can help parents keep within the 3-6 teaspoons of sugar a day recommended by the American Heart Association*. The typical U.S. child eats around 20 or more teaspoons a day, so getting your kids within the recommended amounts most likely means you will have to take sugar out of the rest of your kids meals and snacks. Think: no juice, no soda, no sugar snacks, no honey, no syrup those days. This might be hard, but it will teach not only moderation, but also trade-offs, which are a big part of life.

Savoring

Halloween can teach mindfulness! When most children were eating their candy as fast as they could, my sister and I always had a competition to see who could eat our candy the slowest. The goal was not to be the one left with no candy, while the other one was still savoring hers. If my sister had two skittles left, while mine were already gone, I would look on in jealousy as she continued to enjoy hers. Perhaps this is just another family oddity, but you can teach your kids to eat their candy in such a way as to fully experience the flavors and pleasures and to satisfy them with less quantity.

Giving/Sharing

Keeping only the candy your children really love, and giving the rest away, will reward them twofold: First, the brain enjoys things more when it is not overwhelmed by too many choices and when the so-so options are weeded out. (We actually get less enjoyment when our candy stashes are peppered with mediocre candies.)** Give away any candy that is not in your kids’ top 10 sweets, and they will be even happier with what is left. Second, giving candy away will also teach charity and sharing.

I probably ate way too much candy at Halloween when I was a kid, but I do remember my parents teaching me responsibility with candy as well. My sister and I would give or throw away whatever candy we didn’t like, space our candy out throughout the following week, and would always savor what we had, and we enjoyed Halloween even more because of these small efforts.

How to Find Candy Buy Back Programs

Need a home for these unwanted sweets? Many dentists offices have charity driven buy back programs that will trade kids for money or other prizes for their candy. You can also do a similar trade-in program just in your own home.

Here is a List of Candy Buy Back Programs

~For a national list, try this website: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/

Final Thoughts on How to Limit Halloween Candy

It might not be fun to limit Halloween candy, and you may not be your kids favorite, but our kids are way over sugared. It is our responsibility to teach them moderation, sharing and how to eat healthy. Halloween candy gives us the perfect opportunity to teach all three.