This is the time of year when you start seeing more articles about how to choose healthy snacks on Halloween, how to stay on your diet during Halloween, how to BYOC (bring-your-own-carrots) to a party full of yummy treats, and so forth. The idea of strategic self-restraint seems be the most common tip for having a healthy Halloween. You can fill a Halloween bag/pumpkin with apples instead of Snickers bars, boxes of raisins instead of bags of candy corn, and peanuts instead of Reese’s Pieces. Conquer your cravings, count calories, and thwart temptation.
Unfortunately, avoiding sweets won’t lead to a Happy Halloween if you embrace a core principle that has been cherished by children for generations: CANDY. Not just one piece of candy. But many pieces of candy. A gleeful, once-a-year celebration of chocolate, caramel, nougat, nuts, and all other variations of candy goodness.
Here’s one idea for striking a happy balance, honoring the sacred place that candy still holds for many of us on Halloween:
- Make healthy choices before Halloween. Take the candy dish off your desk. Don’t buy huge bags of Halloween candy on October 1st (even if they’re on sale) because they will torture you for the entire month. Don’t give in to the impulse to buy cute cookies shaped like pumpkins, Rice Krispies treats shaped like ghosts, cupcakes decorated in orange and black, etc. Enjoy Halloween parties as you would any other party, without wolfing down handfuls of candy. Keep enjoying the anticipation of Halloween night just as you did when you were a child, without diving into the sweets too soon.
- Make healthy choices after Halloween. Keep the candy dish off your desk. Give away all your leftover Halloween candy. Don’t buy the huge bags of Halloween candy on clearance November 1st. If you’ve got kids in the house, don’t give in to the temptation to share their candy with them. (Ideally, they might even donate the rest of their candy to children at a local shelter, which is healthier for everyone.)
- Joyfully eat candy ON Halloween night! If you have a big, healthy dinner and then tear into Halloween candy with the same reckless abandon you did as a child, your pure, guilt-free joy can be healthy in itself, strengthening your immune system. You don’t have to be one of the many depressed, angry people feeling deprived on Halloween night, as captured by this haiku from candyaddict.com: "Halloween candy Sits useless in front of me. Damn you Weight Watchers.” Does that sound healthy??
For many of us, Halloween was one of the best nights of the whole year when we were kids. If you disagree with the specific ideas in this article, I hope you’ll still allow yourself – in whatever way you choose – to freely enjoy Halloween night!
Love the balanced approach! I can't wait to indulge in my favorite candy Saturday night.
Thanks Yumi — same here!!