Your guide to a healthy Halloween for the whole family

When most people think about Halloween, they think of cold weather, cute costumes and way too much candy. Village Health Partners is here to show you that despite being known for sugar-filled snacks, Halloween can be healthy. Whether you’re giving out treats to the children in your neighborhood or you’re going house-to-house with your kids, here’s your guide to a healthy Halloween.  

If you’re handing out treats
If you’ve opted to leave the lights on, try handing out healthier options to your neighbors! Plenty of families will be handing out high-calorie sweets to children, so you can get creative with alternatives to sugar-loaded candy. Kids are already consuming too much sugar outside of Halloween treats, so why not offer them fun options that are better for their growing bodies?  

Not only will parents appreciate you not overloading their kids with sugar right before bedtime, but children with food sensitivities and allergies will also get to enjoy what you hand out.  

Here are some fun ideas for less sugary treats that you can hand out:   

• Mini pretzels  
• Mini bags of popcorn  
• Fruit leathers  
• Organic fruit snacks  
• Mini bottles of water  
• Glow sticks – kids and families can use them as they trick-or-treat!  
• Halloween-themed accessories like rings or slap-band bracelets 

If you’re going with the trick-or-treaters
Start the night with a healthy meal
To prevent everyone from snacking on sugary foods all night, eat a well-balanced meal before heading out so you’re less likely to reach for the candy. Also, make sure you bring water and are properly hydrated. It’s easy to confuse">It’s easy to confuse your body telling you its thirsty with your body telling you its hungry, so stay ahead of those cues by drinking plenty of water! 

Set daily limits on candy

Talk with your family ahead of time about how much candy they’ll get to eat that night. Your kids will be more excited when they get their favorite candies because they were waiting for them all night! You also won’t be as tempted to reach for just any candy if you know it’ll be one of the few you get to eat that night. 

Prioritize safety

Trick-or-treating is spookier after the sun sets, but it also makes it harder for other people – especially those in cars – to see you and your family! Make sure to bring flashlights or wear reflective gear if you plan on going out past sunset. Also, try to cross the street at dedicated crosswalks, so it’s easier for people in cars to see you. 

Repurpose your candy after Halloween

Since you’ve all agreed to not eat too much candy, there might be a lot leftover and that’s OK! You can do good with your Halloween treats by donating the rest of your candy to Operation Shoebox. The candy you send will be packaged along with other goodies and sent to military members serving overseas.  

Are you ready to find a doctor who can work with you and the whole family to be the healthiest you can be? Dr. Wang is excited to collaborate with you to meet your health goals. Click here to request an appointment.