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I don’t limit candy on Halloween…
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Hi Reader, I’ll be honest – Halloween has never been my favorite. Mostly I just wonder why it can’t be on a Friday or Saturday every year. I always feel TERRIBLE for our teachers the day after Halloween! Every year around this time, I get the same question: “How much candy should I let my kids have?” Here’s my very professional, very real answer: let them eat the candy. Trying to tightly control how much they eat usually backfires. It makes candy feel extra special and can lead to kids thinking about it more, not less. One night of eating more sweets than usual isn’t going to undo all the good habits you’ve built. Halloween is supposed to be fun. It’s one day – not their whole diet. I care way more about what your kids eat and how they relate to food the other 364 days of the year. You can help them learn to notice how their body feels (like when they’ve had enough to avoid a stomachache) and still let them enjoy the fun of sorting, trading, and snacking on their haul. You don’t need to do the Switch Witch (unless your kid is really into that!) or throw all the candy away. The best thing you can do is teach your kids that sweets can be enjoyed in moderation without guilt or fuss. So I let them get their fill on Halloween, and then for the days after, I let them pick a few pieces to have each day with lunch or dinner. I tell them that’s the plan up front so they know what to expect! (My only hard and fast rules are around safety. I REALLY prefer for kids not to eat candy while they are running around because it’s such a big choking hazard!) ICYMI – here’s a video! Holiday Help From Mama Knows How to Handle Halloween for KidsWhile there’s no candy that I consider to be a healthy food, I do think it has a place in your little one’s diet – at least this one time a year at Halloween. Food is part of how we celebrate as a culture. And while yes, it can certainly be excessive at times, it’s also part of being a human! It’s important for our kids, from an early age, to learn how to appropriately handle sweets and treats. That said, I do have some guidelines that will help you navigate what is safe and appropriate for your toddler or preschooler!
Feeding Tip Of The Week Alternatives to Candy I love sending non-candy treats for classroom Halloween parties. They usually get plenty of candy otherwise; and this is a great way to include kids with food allergies. I always have some at my door for trick-or-treaters, too. Here are some of my favorite options! Click to see more!
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Mama Knows Nutrition
Subscribe to get weekly inspiration with kid-friendly recipes, my personal meal plans, quick nutrition tips, and relatable mom tales that will make you smile, laugh, or cry, depending on what kind of week I'm having!
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