Monday, October 19, 2009
How to manage the treats after Halloween
Halloween is a favorite holiday for many kids. Why? When else do you get to dress up in a cool costume, walk around the neighborhood pretending to be someone or something else, and ring your neighbor’s doorbell in anticipation of a special treat?
As a kid I remember excitedly dumping my bag or plastic pumpkin on the dining room table and surmising all the treasures I had collected.
The bite-size candy bars, bubble gum, Tootsie Roll pops and Twizzlers were among the treats. It seemed like an eternity waiting for Mom or Dad to inspect everything before I could indulge in a few.
To this day I still have a sweet tooth, but know I must limit my candy consumption.
With the epidemic of obesity sweeping the nation, adults and kids need to be sensible with their intake of candy to avoid undesirable weight gain.
In addition, too much sugar can promote tooth decay, leading to more cavities and time spent in the dentist’s chair.
Most importantly, candy is often high in calories and/or fat, (depending on the type), and low in other nutrients. Recently I polled some Facebook moms and dads to ask how they handle the influx of candy their trick or treaters bring home. Here is a summary of what they said:
- Allow kids to have 2-5 pieces or “indulge” a little Halloween night.
- Keep remaining candy in a child’s designated “treat bag” in a place out of their reach (such as a high cupboard).
- Each day allow a designated amount of candy (about 1-2 pieces) after lunch or dinner. Continue this practice anywhere from a few days to a couple months.
- Offer to buy candy from children -- after a price is negotiated one parent “buys” back some of the candy collected. The parent then brings the candy into the workplace to share.
- Separate candy into zip-lock bags; one bag containing candy to be used in future (i.e. Christmas cookies)
- Freeze the candy (note some candies may freeze better than others).
- Toss extra candy or give away.
- Parents eat it themselves.
I also asked a friend (who is also a dietitian) how she limits her kids’ candy consumption. She (like one of the moms that responded to the Facebook poll) sets aside any good candy (namely chocolate bars) and chops it up to make cookies.
She also said that she is lucky that her kids get more excited about dressing up and the act of trick or treating but not necessarily eating the candy.
A good friend of mine mentioned she allows each of her kids three pieces of candy corn per day and that they can choose how they eat it (i.e., a piece after each meal, three before bedtime, etc).
A favorite author of mine is Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian who has written books on feeding children healthfully. She recommends relegating candy consumption to meal and snack times and that structure is a key component.
Parents take leadership in what other foods are offered at the table. She suggests that children that are able to follow rules should be allowed to keep their stash of candy, and that the parents control the stash for those that cannot.
Satter also advises that once the child shows the ability to control his candy consumption, he should be allowed to keep his stash.
I agree with Satter’s advice that candy should be treated the same way other sweets are and that children need to manage sweets and keep sweets in proportion to other foods they eat.
She cites research studies in which treat-deprived girls were more likely to load up on forbidden foods even when not hungry and that girls who were allowed to eat sweets ate them in moderation (if at all) and were thinner.
Remember too, that “treats” do not have to mean “candy.” Nuts, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, microwave popcorn or whole grain crackers are other options.
Candy alternatives may include pencils, stickers, scented erasers, party favors or trading cards.
However you and your children spend Halloween, choosing healthier foods more often, limiting sweets and exercising regularly are all steps you can take to limit undesirable weight gain. Trick or Treat!
Catherine Schneider is a Registered Dietitian in the Food and Nutrition Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Schneider and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org or comment on their blog at healthydocs.blogspot.com.
As a kid I remember excitedly dumping my bag or plastic pumpkin on the dining room table and surmising all the treasures I had collected.
The bite-size candy bars, bubble gum, Tootsie Roll pops and Twizzlers were among the treats. It seemed like an eternity waiting for Mom or Dad to inspect everything before I could indulge in a few.
To this day I still have a sweet tooth, but know I must limit my candy consumption.
With the epidemic of obesity sweeping the nation, adults and kids need to be sensible with their intake of candy to avoid undesirable weight gain.
In addition, too much sugar can promote tooth decay, leading to more cavities and time spent in the dentist’s chair.
Most importantly, candy is often high in calories and/or fat, (depending on the type), and low in other nutrients. Recently I polled some Facebook moms and dads to ask how they handle the influx of candy their trick or treaters bring home. Here is a summary of what they said:
- Allow kids to have 2-5 pieces or “indulge” a little Halloween night.
- Keep remaining candy in a child’s designated “treat bag” in a place out of their reach (such as a high cupboard).
- Each day allow a designated amount of candy (about 1-2 pieces) after lunch or dinner. Continue this practice anywhere from a few days to a couple months.
- Offer to buy candy from children -- after a price is negotiated one parent “buys” back some of the candy collected. The parent then brings the candy into the workplace to share.
- Separate candy into zip-lock bags; one bag containing candy to be used in future (i.e. Christmas cookies)
- Freeze the candy (note some candies may freeze better than others).
- Toss extra candy or give away.
- Parents eat it themselves.
I also asked a friend (who is also a dietitian) how she limits her kids’ candy consumption. She (like one of the moms that responded to the Facebook poll) sets aside any good candy (namely chocolate bars) and chops it up to make cookies.
She also said that she is lucky that her kids get more excited about dressing up and the act of trick or treating but not necessarily eating the candy.
A good friend of mine mentioned she allows each of her kids three pieces of candy corn per day and that they can choose how they eat it (i.e., a piece after each meal, three before bedtime, etc).
A favorite author of mine is Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian who has written books on feeding children healthfully. She recommends relegating candy consumption to meal and snack times and that structure is a key component.
Parents take leadership in what other foods are offered at the table. She suggests that children that are able to follow rules should be allowed to keep their stash of candy, and that the parents control the stash for those that cannot.
Satter also advises that once the child shows the ability to control his candy consumption, he should be allowed to keep his stash.
I agree with Satter’s advice that candy should be treated the same way other sweets are and that children need to manage sweets and keep sweets in proportion to other foods they eat.
She cites research studies in which treat-deprived girls were more likely to load up on forbidden foods even when not hungry and that girls who were allowed to eat sweets ate them in moderation (if at all) and were thinner.
Remember too, that “treats” do not have to mean “candy.” Nuts, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, microwave popcorn or whole grain crackers are other options.
Candy alternatives may include pencils, stickers, scented erasers, party favors or trading cards.
However you and your children spend Halloween, choosing healthier foods more often, limiting sweets and exercising regularly are all steps you can take to limit undesirable weight gain. Trick or Treat!
Catherine Schneider is a Registered Dietitian in the Food and Nutrition Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Schneider and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org or comment on their blog at healthydocs.blogspot.com.
# posted by ----------------- @ 3:13 PM 
