Halloween and Candy

Halloween has always been a super special time to indulge in treats that were limited or absent the rest of the year. All year long I blog about how nutrition impacts development. But, once a year everyone who wants to can indulge in some candy.

There are ways to make this candy centered holiday healthier for everyone. When my kids have candy, I make sure it is in the presence of some real food: a piece of fruit, some nuts, a few carrots, a hard boiled deviled egg, some cold cuts or a meal I have made myself from scratch are all great to have on Halloween. A rule of thumb is if it has a label on it, it’s not healthy. If it has a label on it with more than five ingredients it DEFINITELY is not healthy. In fact, it isn’t even food. It is chemicals marketed to look like food.

On Halloween, I focus on the presence of real food, rather than denying my kids candy. It is the presence of real food that will make a difference in how they react to the sugary snacks. Like alcohol, your body will be less afffected by the sugar on a full stomach. Having some candy in the context of a day filled with homemade healthy nutritious food is very different from having candy with processed, convenient food.