Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was a kid, I used to collect all my Halloween candy in a giant pillowcase and hide it under my bed for months, eating one piece of candy a night, saving the yucky candies for last.

Now that I’m a mom and a dietitian, Halloween takes on a whole new definition of dread. As you know, Halloween candy can be every parent’s nutritional nightmare. And deciding what to do with those big trick-or-treat bags full of candy can be a big problem.

Tips for dealing with Halloween Candy Overload:

• Serve your kids a healthy dinner before they go trick-or-treating. This will help prevent them from gorging on candy when they get home.
• Let your child enjoy some of their Halloween candy in moderation: set a limit on four small pieces of candy when they’ve finished trick-or-treating.
• Negotiate how long the candy will remain in the house. For instance, all the candy will be thrown away or given away after a week.
• Keep the candy out of sight. Put the trick-or-treat bags on a high cabinet in your kitchen or pantry. Out of sight is often out of mind, and this way you can control how many pieces of candy your kids eat over the next few days.
• Don’t buy candy too early.
• Buy candy that will not be tempting for you or your children. If you’re not a fan of lollipops, buy a big bag for your trick-or-treaters.
• Promote a healthy Halloween by handing out alternatives to candy (pencils, stickers, super balls)
• Hand out non-sugary edible treats like raisins, granola bars and sunflower seeds.
• Get kids moving in the days before Halloween. Make sure your kids get a little extra physical activity to compensate for all those Halloween treats.

Follow these tips and you’ll be well prepared to tame your candy-loving monsters this year.

photo credit: Almond Butterscotch via photopin cc