5 Easy Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Halloween

At last, the spirit of Halloween Haunt is upon us — every dentist’s worst nightmare. And no, we’re not talking about the ubiquitous costume store that pops into closed down storefronts from September to November. We’re talking about the spooky vibes and good times of Halloween!

In just a few short days, our streets will be filled with pint-sized Avengers, various Stranger Things characters and inevitable Fortnite-themed costumes, hungry for bite-sized, sugar-filled treats.

So, before the crazy week begins, let’s talk a little bit about staying healthy!

Health During Halloween

If you’re a little afraid of those treats, there’s good reason. In fact, Daily Burn reports that children collect an average of 3500 to 7000 calories of candy during Halloween night!

Plus, Americans collectively buy 90 million pounds of chocolate during the week of Halloween.

Now that’s scary!

And what’s worse?

That is only addressing one night. That doesn’t count the Spooky-themed concoctions you buy throughout the month (okay, we’re guilty of buying one too many of Starbucks Halloween Fraps.) ***[change to whatever they offer up this year]

It’s no secret that we raid the cabinets for candy stashes meant for trick-or-treaters. And yes, some of us buy too much on purpose, knowing we’ll have extras for later.

But Daily Burn offers more scary statistics that may inspire you to drop the sweets:

You would need to do 17 minutes of burpees to burn off the calories of one bite-sized Snickers bar
You would need to walk for 134 minutes to burn off one tall Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Say it ain’t so!)

So, we definitely need to keep our health in mind during Halloween week.

Here are fun ways to keep it fun and keep it healthier:

Fuel up before you step out.

Don’t be a total noob when it comes to your kids out for trick-or-treating. You’re going to want to snack as you walk.

Lessen the likelihood of bringing on candies or being fatigued by eating a balanced meal beforehand. You don’t have to eat a full meal if you’re afraid you’ll feel a little nasty walking around afterward. But eating a little something will curb your appetite and give you enough energy to hit more houses, leaving yours kids happy.

It’s a win-win!

Don’t completely ban candy.

What?!

We know…after all that talk, we’re saying not to outlaw candy in your household! Well, yes…with one special consideration.

Here’s why:

When you can’t have something, it kind of makes you want it more, right? Think back to when you were young: how many times did you do something, specifically because your parents forbade it?

So, whetting your appetite a bit can potentially keep you from temptation.

And what about for kids?

You can let them have some too, but only a little. Why?

Well, it’s the same logic that works for you, except, children have a caveat. Banning something from children might make them associate a certain specialty with it.

Dr. WIlliam McCarthy of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health explained his experience with this technique.

McCarthy suggested that he didn’t want his child to think that candy and cookies were “precious,” so he never outright prohibited them.

It’s important to talk about moderation, but don’t forget, it’s cool to keep it light and casual sometimes.

So, if your child sneaks a Ring-Pop the night after Halloween, just make sure they know it’s not okay to do that every day!

Let’s keep this to a minimum though, okay?

Experiment with healthy-version snacks.

Creating healthy snacks (or just healthier snacks) could be one to help curb Halloween sugar.

Needs some ideas that won’t sacrifice taste and the pomp and circumstance of All Hallow’s Eve?

Try a few of these:

Scrap the candy corn candy for something tastier and healthier.

Every October, there’s a portion of us with a hankering for candy corn, which is literally just sugar in small bite-size pieces. Why not opt for something more filling, but still packs a sweet punch?

Try these Candy Corn Granola Bars (recipe per Eating Well). Rolled oats, dried pineapple, yogurt and apricots? Sounds yummy!

Ditch the Pumpkin Spice latte for some ice cream.

What? Ditch the coffee for some ice cream? Yes mam! With this simple Paleo recipe from The Roasted Root, you have a pumpkin-flavored treat that you can enjoy guilt-free.

All you need is: coconut milk ice cream (or your favorite, smart choice), pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.

Give in to your chocolate cravings.

Hello Glow’s salted chocolate bombs recipe is perfect for those of you on the keto diet, who still want to partake in the snacking festivities.

Speaking of sweets, that leads us to our next tip:

Hydrate up.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, you probably won’t be trick-or-treating this year. But that does not mean you should skip on water and energizing superfoods.

Sip on some water, Can’t Beet This!, Coco Hyrdate or better yet, try our Can’t Beet the Power of LOV recipe.

Plus, sipping some of your water can help you stay full and stave off the temptation to gorge on multiple candies.

Be ready for your little monsters.

Whether’s it a rush or the jitters of excitement, your little monsters might go from zero to one hundred within seconds when eating sweets. Be mindful that your kids are just that — kids — but also be ready to curb that enthusiasm.

We have a few tips here.

You can try these Purium favorites to support calm vibes:

In Focus: Organic eleuthero root and chamomile
Apothe-Cherry: tart cherry (natural melatonin source)

Parents can use the product too!

Have a spooky, safe time.

It may seem totally obvious to you, but we need to make sure safety is priority. After all, it’s super essential to health.

Inspect Candy and Goodies

So, not to beat a dead zombie, but please ensure you inspect your child’s goodies before they delve in. We are in some crazy times.

Just one spooky example–

Just last month needles were found in strawberries across produce aisles in Australian markets. The photos are enough to give us a few nightmares and at the very last, second guess what we grab in the market.

Watch Out for Werewolves and Vampires

Okay, maybe not literally, but you should be watchful for situations that may cause harm to you or your family, especially when walking during dusk.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) recommends: