Planning for a Healthy Halloween
It won’t be long before the holiday season kicks off with the most sugary one of them all - Halloween. This holiday is a fun way to get dressed up, get involved in the community, and to collect candy! However, all of this sugar can be detrimental if binged on too much. If you want to have a healthy Halloween this year, here are a few tips to help make it possible - whether you are the trick or treater, the party host, or the stay at home type.
Keep It Small. Instead of aiming to fill a pillowcase with candy, choose a smaller container for candy collection. You can also encourage your children to only take one piece of candy from each house so that they can visit even more homes.
Take a Walk. Instead of driving from house to house, you can walk as a way to help get some exercise. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you want to visit and make it a competition to see how many you can get to. Don’t forget to bring water, a flashlight, and wear good walking shoes.
Use This as a Talking Point. This is a great time to talk to your children about the value of enjoying a fun treat but to also respect them and not abuse them. Candy doesn’t have to be “that thing I only get once a year,” but instead can just be something that is enjoyed on special occasions. Make a plan with their help to decide how to use excess candy, and talk about how much should be enjoyed and eaten on the night of.
Make Food Fun. You can make healthy foods fun by using them in the party activities. Decorating oranges, painting pumpkins, and bobbing for apples are just a few fun ideas.
Get Them Moving. Look for fun party games that can ben used as a way to get kids moving. Dance offs, monster races, spider crawls, and pumpkin tosses are just a few.
Don’t Drink Calories. While it seems obvious, reducing the sugar intake in your drinks is just as important as in your foods. Water, juice, sparkling water, unsweet tea, and milk are great alternatives. There are also some spooky drink recipes online that can be used instead of offering soda and other sugary beverages.
Avoid It Altogether. If you don’t want to hand out candy or have tons of kids at your door, do something different! Dress up and get out of the house for the evening instead. You can go watch a new Halloween themed movie at the theater, visit your local community service locations or nursing homes with healthy treats, or look for other fun events that are food-centered.
Be That House. The teal pumpkin movement is really picking up in popularity as food allergies are becoming more common. Start a tradition to hand out healthy or non-edible items, and take time to make it fun and creative! A few ideas could involve:
Healthy Foods:
Non-Edible Choices:
There are so many fun things happening at the Lake of the Ozarks, and Absolute Wellness Center hopes that you and your children have a safe and happy Halloween fun. If you need more ideas on how to eat a balanced diet or include healthy supplements throughout the winter months, Absolute Wellness Center offers nutritional counseling at the Lake of the Ozarks. Our biggest goal is to join you on your health journey, so be sure to let us know how we can help all winter long. From chiropractic adjustments at the Lake of the Ozarks to a morning-after massage for mama - we’ve got you covered!
Halloween For the Trick-Or-Treater
Eat Dinner First. Take some time before running out to the next trick or treat event to fill up on a healthy meal. This may not stop your kids from indulging in their favorites, but it will hopefully slow down the need to snack on candy while they go from one place to another or overindulging.Keep It Small. Instead of aiming to fill a pillowcase with candy, choose a smaller container for candy collection. You can also encourage your children to only take one piece of candy from each house so that they can visit even more homes.
Take a Walk. Instead of driving from house to house, you can walk as a way to help get some exercise. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you want to visit and make it a competition to see how many you can get to. Don’t forget to bring water, a flashlight, and wear good walking shoes.
Use This as a Talking Point. This is a great time to talk to your children about the value of enjoying a fun treat but to also respect them and not abuse them. Candy doesn’t have to be “that thing I only get once a year,” but instead can just be something that is enjoyed on special occasions. Make a plan with their help to decide how to use excess candy, and talk about how much should be enjoyed and eaten on the night of.
Halloween For the Party Host
Keep It Frightening. Serving healthy snacks but with a fun and ghoulish theme can really make healthy foods seem more appealing. Pinterest is FILLED with fun ideas that are made using fruits and vegetables in creepy and creative ways.Make Food Fun. You can make healthy foods fun by using them in the party activities. Decorating oranges, painting pumpkins, and bobbing for apples are just a few fun ideas.
Get Them Moving. Look for fun party games that can ben used as a way to get kids moving. Dance offs, monster races, spider crawls, and pumpkin tosses are just a few.
Don’t Drink Calories. While it seems obvious, reducing the sugar intake in your drinks is just as important as in your foods. Water, juice, sparkling water, unsweet tea, and milk are great alternatives. There are also some spooky drink recipes online that can be used instead of offering soda and other sugary beverages.
Halloween at Home
Dish Up the Candy. You can not only help keep kids’ candy in moderation but help your budget as well if you can only hand out one piece of candy per child. If you have more than one type of candy, you can let them choose which they prefer, but one piece of candy per child can help.Avoid It Altogether. If you don’t want to hand out candy or have tons of kids at your door, do something different! Dress up and get out of the house for the evening instead. You can go watch a new Halloween themed movie at the theater, visit your local community service locations or nursing homes with healthy treats, or look for other fun events that are food-centered.
Be That House. The teal pumpkin movement is really picking up in popularity as food allergies are becoming more common. Start a tradition to hand out healthy or non-edible items, and take time to make it fun and creative! A few ideas could involve:
Healthy Foods:
- Clementines
- Sugar-free gum
- 100% real fruit strips, ropes, or leathers
- 100% juice boxes
- Snack-sized packages of pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, dried fruit, or vegetables, trail mix, nuts, or pumpkin seeds
Non-Edible Choices:
- Glow sticks
- Bubble makers
- Friendship bracelets
- Bouncy balls
- Stickers
- Temporary tattoos
- Slime, putty, or squishy toys
Have a Happy, Healthy Halloween
You still have several weeks to prepare, so take the time to do some research and decide how you want to handle the holiday. You can do a “buy-back” deal with your child if you don’t want to keep the candy in the house, or you can find other ways to donate your candy to others. You can even keep candy to a minimum by limiting the locations that you go to for Halloween events, and only doing activities the night of instead of all of the surrounding weekends.There are so many fun things happening at the Lake of the Ozarks, and Absolute Wellness Center hopes that you and your children have a safe and happy Halloween fun. If you need more ideas on how to eat a balanced diet or include healthy supplements throughout the winter months, Absolute Wellness Center offers nutritional counseling at the Lake of the Ozarks. Our biggest goal is to join you on your health journey, so be sure to let us know how we can help all winter long. From chiropractic adjustments at the Lake of the Ozarks to a morning-after massage for mama - we’ve got you covered!
Absolute Wellness Center Inc
4203 E US Hwy 54
Linn Creek, MO 65052
573-346-3777
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