Hello, fall, and hello, October! Isn’t it incredible how fast time goes by? This is my favorite time of the year—cooler temperatures, change of leaves, warmer clothes, hearty meals… and Halloween!
To be honest, I’ve never been very into Halloween. As you may or may not know, I grew up in Venezuela, and even though there were some costume parties here and there, this was never a huge celebration like it is here in the States.
I remember that the only time that I went trick-or-treating I got an apple and a slice of cake among a couple candies… I thought this was interesting and figured that since this is not a tradition there, they probably didn’t have any chocolate and just gave me the sweetest thing they found in their house.
I do believe that having a bunch of candies sitting around the kitchen can be a huge temptation, so here are a few ideas to stay on track on Halloween day and also to regulate your kids’ sugar consumption:
1. Buy the candy on October 31st. If you buy it days before, you’re going to have the temptation of reaching out, and this will sabotage the healthy eating habits you’ve been creating all year round.
2. Buy fruits, and give a candy and a fruit to every kid that shows up at your house. Balance is everything, right? This way you’ll be leading by example. Some great options are clementines, apples, pears, and bananas.
3. If you have kids, don’t eat their candies. Make sure to drink plenty of water and have a decent meal before heading trick-or-treating.
4. Let your kids eat a couple of the candies they received, but tell them they have to save the rest for the next day. If they eat too much sugar late in the day, you’re going to have a rough night—trust me on this one! Then you can give them a couple more after lunch and so on.
5. Whatever candies you have leftover at your house, donate them or return them the next day. Again, if it’s not around, you won’t eat it.
Balance is important in every aspect of our lives. If you eat a candy or two, it’s not the end of the world. Tomorrow will be a new day! Just be aware, and if you know that you don’t have any self-control, try to stay away from them. Maybe chew some sugar-free gum and drink more water than you think your belly can handle to curve any cravings that may arise… Happy trick-or treating, y’all!
Claudia Deen is a Certified Health Coach based in Savannah, GA, and the founder of The Trendy Smoothie. Claudia is a brown belt in karate, thirteen-time half-marathon finisher, seven-time marathon finisher, and two-time Ironman 70.3 finisher. After a career in advertising, her passion for fitness and fresh eating led to a career centered on helping others achieve a healthier lifestyle. In 2013, Claudia married Paula’s son, Bobby. You can follow Claudia on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
