Six Tips to get through the Halloween Candy Overload

31 Oct, 2012

Editor’s Note: We thought this was a good post to bring back today. Ugh! Candy time is here! Kaiti has great tips to help you get rid of all those sweets without eating them! And if you must snack on a few (or 10) check out Sanae’s reminder about how many calories are in there! And don’t forget to keep yourself and your pets safe tonight!

Written By: Kaiti George

As we approach the next 12 weeks, your mind might veer into the direction of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas mode. So much to do, so little time and SO much food! As a Registered Dietitian, I do not dispel or discourage eating candy or sweet treats. I believe in the great saying ”All foods in moderation.”

The problem with moderation, though — as with so many other things — is finding balance. So, as your children bring home sackfuls of candy this year…I do indeed think your children should be able to enjoy a small amount of candy. Kids are kids only once, right? However, kids need limitations, especially when it comes to the candy bowl! Allowing your child to pick one or two pieces of candy to have each day for a week will demonstrate just that. Also, storing the leftover candy on the highest shelf in the house is a must so that there are no temptations from the kiddos when mom or dad isn’t watching!

So, after your kids have picked their favorite treats to hang onto, what should you do with the rest of the candy? Here are six tips to help you get through the Halloween candy dilemma:

Share it. Take your leftover candy to the office. Even if your co-workers who are parents are sick of the stuff, chances are your younger colleagues will indulge. Or better yet, fill a sack with candy and take it to a local nursing home, homeless shelter or a charity for the staff to enjoy.
Stuff it. Gather the leftover candy and stuff them into a piñata. Crack the piñata open at Thanksgiving or wait until your child’s birthday. This is a great weekend afternoon project!
Freeze it. Put the chocolate bars in your freezer to save them for later. As long as the chocolate is packaged and sealed, it will last for up to a year in the freezer.
House it. After Halloween, kids are next looking forward to Christmas. Save Halloween candy for gingerbread houses. Another great afternoon weekend project in December!
Send it. Send your leftover candy to soldiers serving overseas through Operation Shoebox. Military members love getting care packages and as long as it won’t melt (example—chocolate) you may really make their day by sending a box full of goodies to them. Operation Gratitude is a non-profit that welcomes your excess Halloween candy for its care packages to the U.S. military. For more details you can send email to OpGrat@gmail.com or visit them online – click here!
Exchange it. This is my favorite tip! Allow your child to pick out a few of their favorite pieces of candy to enjoy for the next few days. Then, on Halloween night, your kids will leave the remainder of their Halloween goodies out for the “Great Pumpkin” (aka mom or dad) to collect. The following morning the candy would be gone and there will be a small gift in place of the sweet treats left behind by the “Great Pumpkin.” So what happens to all the candy? The “Great Pumpkin” takes the candy to a shelter, hospital, worksite or beauty salon and donate the candy to them.