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Tricks for the treats

You don’t have to be sour on your kids’ Halloween sweets, but there are plenty of ways to deal with the empty calories and sugar overload

By: Shamona Harnett

Posted: 10/25/2010 10:18 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

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Not all Halloween treats need to be loaded with sugar.

HAVE a penchant for sweets?

Then strolling down the grocery store Halloween aisle will drive you mad with thoughts of Rockets, lollipops and caramels.

You’re not the only one. Statistics Canada reported $317 million in retail sales of candy, confectionery and snack foods sales at large retailers in October 2008. That was up from an average of $255 million in previous months.

With obesity on the rise, it’s wise for parents and kids alike to avoid overindulging.

Need some tips about how to limit your intake of Halloween loot? Here are my favourites:

Don’t let candy take centre stage

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about licorice and jellybeans. Instead of letting sugary treats infiltrate your mind, focus instead on ghoulish fun and games. Encourage your kids to decorate the house with scary drawings. Help them carve pumpkins. Celebrate Halloween by running around with them in the backyard.

Encourage a healthy choice with every sweet helping

Set a new rule in the house for you and your kids: You can only dip into the Halloween candy if you wash it down with a glass of milk or water. It’s a good habit that will help balance the empty calories in candy and chips.

Trick or treat for a friend

Turn Halloween into a good deed by giving away half of your kids’ candy to a friend or relative.

Your children should help decide to whom they will give their loot. Not only will they be thrilled that they get to keep half of their candy, they will feel a sense of responsibility to know they are trick or treating on behalf of someone who is unable to go out Halloween night.

Avoid sticky candy

While dentists would prefer that you avoid sugar all together, they admit that certain candies are worse than others. Tr y to avoid sugary treats that stick to teeth — toffee, caramel and hard candy. These are the culprits that tend to hang around and lower your mouth’s pH level.

That’s a surefire recipe for cavities.

Buy at the last minute

Just because little bags of Halloween candy have already lined your grocery store aisles for weeks doesn’t mean that you have to buy in advance. To save yourself from indulging unnecessarily, purchase your candy at the last minute — on Halloween day.

Chew gum

Dentists say that gum — even the kind that’s laced with sugar — can actually prevent cavities. This happens because gum-chewing increases saliva flow that, in turn, washes away cavity-causing bacteria. An even better way to take a bite out of cavities? Chew gum containing xylitol, a sweetener made from the bark of birch trees. Xylitol — used widely in Europe — actually starves mouth bacteria. (Be sure not to overeat xylitol, however. It’s known to cause gas when consumed in excess. As well, keep your xylitol products away from dogs as canines cannot digest the sweetener).

Say cheese

Yes, cheese is a calorie-dense food that’s higher in saturated fat. But did you know that snacking on cheese after a meal or sweet treat can reduce your chance of developing cavities? Studies show that the calcium and phosphorus in cheese actually remineralizes tooth enamel thereby preventing cavities and tooth erosion. As well, the fat and protein in cheese defends teeth from cavity-causing acids that form after you eat sugar.

Orange it up

Fill your house with nutritious orange-coloured foods such as carrot slices, individually wrapped cheddar cheese slices and mandarins. Your kids will love the fact that these foods add a dose of Halloween colour to your fridge, fruit bowl or veggie platter.

Use your feet to trick or treat

Leave the car at home Halloween night and walk with your kids door-to-door. Rather than strolling, speed walk to burn off the excess candy calories you and your kids will be taking in later.

Eat first

Never trick-or-treat on an empty stomach. Instead, have a special Halloween dinner before you head out the door — one that’s filled with nutritious, warming dishes such as pumpkin soup. That way, you won’t be as tempted to fill up on your Halloween earnings.

Keep candy out of the bedroom

Banishing candy from the bedroom will help you and your kids avoid snacking on sweet loot before bedtime. (Remember that cavities are most likely to form during sleep — when the mouth is dry and experiencing a lower pH.

Avoiding sugar at night only helps in the fight against obesity and cavities).

Keep it up high

Store Halloween candy out of reach — in a high cupboard or pantry shelf. That way, your kids will have to ask permission every time they want to dip into their bag of goodies. Remind them that eating only a little bit at a time means they get to enjoy their treats for weeks to come.

Have an interesting story idea you’d like Shamona to write about? Contact her at shamona.harnett@freepress.mb.ca

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