Don’t Let the Halloween Treats Trick You!
Now that summer is over, the stores move on to their next money making scheme. Every October 31st, we buy tons of candy and dress our kids in their favorite Halloween costume. If you’re not careful, a few careless handfuls of your favorite mini treats, and you’ll have sworn you’ve been tricked next time you step on the scale. So, before you find yourself in the Halloween candy isle (for the second or third time before Halloween), bite into some of these nutritional tips to help curb your cravings.
If you can follow these simple guidelines and you will have a better chance of staying on track around the Halloween holiday.
– The hardest part of Halloween is that candy is EVERYWHERE. Buy candy you don’t like. Lets face it… the neighborhood kids don’t care if you hate peanuts or lollipops. It’s much easier to resist opening that bag of Almond Joy’s if you simply don’t like Almond Joy’s.
– Who said that Halloween treats had to be something extremely bad for you? If you don’t have the candy sitting around then you won’t be tempted! Buy items such as applesauce cups, raisins, Kashi granola bars or little bags of fat free popcorn. Kids will be happy and SO will your waistline!
-Buy Candy ON Halloween day. This can save you a few trips to the store because all your candy was eaten… before Halloween.
– Be realistic about how much candy you need. When I lived in an apartment building I used to go to CVS and buy 3 bags of Halloween candy. Who was I kidding!? I’d sit on the couch and eat all the candy myself because I had ZERO trick-or-treater’s. Don’t trick yourself! Having too many leftover candy will lead to indulging! If you buy too-little candy that IS ok. Turn out the lights on the house and call it a night… kids get the message.
– Fill up on healthy food during trick or treating times. Try to fill yourself full of large portions of fruits and veggies at meals and snacks during the evening hours. The nutrients will help keep you full, and make it easier for you to eat sweets in moderation or better yet, not at all.
– Once Halloween is over, get all of the goods out of the house! Take the candy to work or even better donate to a shelter, the troops or blood bank (people who donate blood need that quick sugar rush sometimes). You can’t munch on your leftovers if they’re simply not there! If you have kids in the house who have a sack full of unhealthy treats, just tell them to keep it out of your sight.
– Don’t beat yourself up if you did over-do it. However, don’t use it as an excuse to stay off the wagon for days. It’s easy to lose focus if you already have the mindset that you already fell off the wagon. Just remember how far you’ve already come. Simply accept that you enjoyed your craving and start over the next day. It’s easiest to jump right back into your healthy routine and not look back.
Have a safe and healthy Halloween!!
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