Halloween is no longer an event that occurs only on October 31. The holiday is now spread out over multiple weeks and multiple occasions. And there's a lot of sugar at each one! Remember, the USDA guidelines state *no added sugar* for babies under two; the maximum for children & teens is 3 to 6 tsp (14 to 24 grams) per day; and the maximum for adults is 6 to 9 tsp (24 to 36 grams) per day. Anything over this can cause SCARY results.
Try these ideas to reduce the sugar load.
Hand out cute nonfood happies to cute, happy kids!
They'll love them & so will their parents!
Consider any of these adorable ideas: Bubbles, Water Bottles, Slap Bracelets, Bouncy Balls, Spooky Spider Rings, Punch Balloons, Stamps, Mini-Flashlights, Glow-in-the-Dark Tattoos, Mini Play Dough, Fake Mustaches, Stickers, Glider Airplanes, Mini Notebooks, LED Light Up Rings, Necklace Kits, Legos, Mini Puzzles, Crayons, Glow Sticks, Wind-up Toys, Superhero Masks, Vampire Teeth
Switch Witch
The Switch Witch visits your house while your kids sleep, takes their Halloween candy, and switches it for an awesome toy. The Switch Witch visited our family in 2020 and 2021 and plans to come again this year! Abby Raye looks forward to eating a moderate amount of candy after her trick-or-treat adventure and then handing over the rest in order to wake up to a brand new toy!
Wholesome Party Food!
Our family enjoys hosting fall parties and play dates with friends. There's no need for sugar when there are nutritious foods to serve. Kids love wholesome foods and I love to provide them!
2022 Jack-o'-Lantern Snack Tray!
Abby Raye and her friends, Lana and River, had fun arranging an assortment of nutritious ingredients into the shape of a pumpkin face! And they enjoyed snacking on the finished masterpiece! All I did was make sure they washed their hands real well. They did everything else!
We grabbed an assortment of mandarin slices, cheese cubes, freeze dried mango, carrots, orange bell pepper slices, orange mini sweet peppers, Simple Mills almond flour cheddar cheese crackers, & grape tomatoes to make the "pumpkin" and blueberries & raisins for the eyes, nose, & mouth.
2021 Fall Break Brunch!
Kaycee and her mom, DeAnne, joined us for a fall break brunch in 2021. This easy meal included pumpkin spice roasted sweet potatoes, homemade kale chips, scrambled eggs, Applegate Savory Turkey Breakfast Sausage (found in freezer section at Walmart), sparkling water, and "Candy Corn" dessert made out of fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, and coconut cream!
2020 WILD Halloween Party!
At our Where the Wild Things Are Halloween party in 2020 we served a balanced meal of Wild, Wholesome Foods:
Protein - venison meatballs & sausage (Served with unsweetened Primal Kitchen BBQ Sauce)
Carb - organic wild rice
Low-carb Vegetables - garden-fresh yellow squash & bell peppers
Fruit - in season organic apples & pears
Dairy/Healthy Fats - full-fat cheddar cheese crowns & assortment of raw nuts
Extra - Chocolate Sesame Monsters (sweetened with whole dates and decorated with unsweetened whole/minimally processed foods)
Find Your Tribe! Abby Raye and Izzy have been friends since birth. (Literally - they were born within an hour of each other in the same hospital!) Izzy's family and ours share the same nutritional values which means six years of play dates and gatherings full of wholesome foods! How easy it is to navigate the wild, wild world of ultra-processed food when you have a kindred-spirit best buddy by your side!
There's always a healthier choice!
At this time of the year kids are overburdened by high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, GMO ingredients, industrialized seed oils, and additives. Fortunately, there are organic candy and chocolate options which remove these toxins! While the better-for-you options may come with a higher price tag, it's important to consider the long-term price of over indulging in the alternatives.
Consider having some of these on hand to switch out with candy your child brings home. Take the candy swap as an opportunity to educate your kids on ingredients in the original version vs. the healthier version and why it's important to their health to make better, more informed choices.
Graphics from Well-Rooted Pediatric Clinic
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