Tips for a healthier Halloween…
Children love Halloween but it can be a challenging time for parents, especially those with kids who are extra sensitive to the effects of sugar and additives.
I've always approached Halloween from an "everything in moderation" perspective. I try to steer my children towards healthier choices but I also try to avoid being a "fun sponge" so I let them go to Halloween parties or trick or treating with friends.
My kids had a very low tolerance for additives when they were younger so I had a few strategies to make sure they didn't go too crazy at Halloween. They love to remind me that I used to go through their buckets of lollies at the end of the night and swap any "bad" ones (loaded with artificial colours and flavours) with healthier options!
Luckily it is relatively easy to find lollies and chocolates with natural colours and flavours these days. They still usually contain a lot of sugar but are less likely to cause side effects such as hyperactivity, aggression, eczema, asthma, headaches and digestive upset.
If you celebrate Halloween, here are a few ideas to help reduce your kids' sugar and additive load:
🎃 Feed your children before they go out trick-or-treating. Having a full stomach will mean they are less likely to binge on lollies!
🎃 Serve Halloween-themed healthy snacks, e.g. banana “ghosts” with sultana eyes attached with cream cheese or mandarin “pumpkins” with celery stick stalks (for more snack ideas see https://thishealthytable.com/blog/healthy-halloween-recipes/)
🎃 Keep the kids entertained with food-related activities:
- decorating oranges like jack-o-lanterns https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/how-to-make-jack-o-lantern-oranges/
- making spider mini-pizzas https://www.dinnerladies.com.au/blogs/blog/mini-spider-pizzas
- apple-bobbing https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/things-to-do/apple-bobbing/news-story/b451c5ba1615546baaef7360fee792e3
If everything goes pear-shaped and you are left with children who are bouncing off the walls or clutching their stomachs, run them a warm bath, throw in a cup of Epsom salts and let the magnesium work its calming, detox magic! 😴