Healthy Halloween Tips
Top 10 Healthy Halloween Tips!
Halloween is just around the corner, the last thing you probably associate with this holiday is health. With candy taunting you at every turn, it can be easy to succumb to temptation, load up on the extra sugar and pack on the added pounds, and that’s not just the parents. Childhood obesity is a very serious issue, more and more children are tipping the scales at ever increasing weights, and high unhealthy body fat percentages. Keeping tantalizing candy around and allowing them to consume with no limits, is going to do them far more harm than good. Follow these Hitch Fit Healthy Halloween Tips and keep your kids and yourself in tip top shape during this season of spooks!
Top 10 Healthy Halloween Tips
1. Don’t buy your Halloween candy early! If you have bags of Halloween candy lying around the house you are likely to start consuming it in advance, this can sabotage any fitness goals you are trying to attain. Purchase your candy a day or two ahead of time, keep it in a cabinet until it is time for it to be handed out.
2. Don’t purchase your favorite candy. If there is a particular type of candy that you KNOW you can’t resist, then nip the problem in the bud by purchasing something that isn’t tempting to you. If you love Snickers, steer clear of them and choose the Smarties.
3. Don’t let the kids have a candy free for all. Once you’ve inspected the candy treats that your children collect during Halloween, allow them to choose a couple treats to enjoy, if you have a child that is prone to overeating or binging then be sure to get control over the candy treats.
4. Trick or treat then trash the sweets! Once Halloween is over the best thing to do with Halloween treats is to throw them out. If that seems wasteful to you, then opt to bring them to work and give them away. The problem is that the candy is not going to benefit anyone, so throwing it away is the best option.
5. Keep treats out of sight. Whether it is pre Halloween, or post. If you decide to keep candy in your home, keep it hidden in a cabinet. If it is in a convenient spot and can be seen it will be eaten much more quickly, with less regard for moderation.
6. Opt to give out healthy snack options instead of candy! Giving out a healthy treat doesn’t have to be a bummer. The 100 calorie snack packs of crackers, a small bag of chips, raisins or craisins, peanuts, cashews or sunflower seeds are healthier options than a piece of candy. Sugar Free treats such as individually wrapped jello or pudding cups can replace high sugar treats. Sugar free candies or sugar free gum (as long as child is old enough) are another great substitute.
7. Give away trinkets instead of candy! A few great ideas that will still be fun for the kids, but not load them up with sugar and fat are stickers, mini Halloween magnets, bracelets and charms for the girls, army men or mini cars for the boys, miniature note pads, mini play dough, fun bandaids, fake tattoos, glow sticks, chalk, crayons etc. You can get great deals on bundles of these items at places such as Walmart or Costco or a company like Oriental Trading www.orientaltrading.com
8. Instead of focusing on just candy, do other fun Halloween activities with your kids such as pumpkin carving, apple picking or you could create a Halloween decoration or scarecrow, head out to your local haunted barn, or pick up some age appropriate Halloween movies.
9. Many “Fun Size” candies like M&M’s, Skittles, Butterfinger etc. have nearly 100 calories in one small little bag, those calories will add up very quickly even with just a couple treats in a day and will wreck your diet. If you have to curb a sweet tooth opt instead for individually wrapped candies such as a Hershey kiss, tootsie roll or Smarties.
10. Instead of candy, opt to make healthier treats for your kids like our “Boo-Nanners” which Micah demonstrated making on the NBC news here in Kansas City just this past week, check out the link below!
“Boo-Nanners”
Banana
1 Popsicle Stick
Shredded Coconut
Orange Juice
2 Raisins
Cut the banana in half, peel the banana and stick the popsicle stick up through the center.
Fill a glass with orange juice and dip the banana into the juice for 5 seconds
Place the banana on a plate and smother it with shredded coconut
Take two raisins and gently press them into the banana for eyes.
Eat as is, or place them in the freezer overnight for a tasty frozen snack!
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