Any well-intentioned attempt to ban candy altogether can backfire because it “increases the chances of a child overindulging in the ‘bad’ food once they have access to it,” which is a fair point. But the autumn holiday does not need to be an orgy of high-fructose corn syrup.
Industry reports suggest the average trick-or-treater consumes three cups of sugar on Halloween, or about 7,000 calories worth of candy, according to a report in Fortune. For those who know that their children (or themselves) might not have the self-control, this can have an unhealthy impact.
Thanks to creative adults like Shari Bresin of the University of Florida, where she is the Family & Consumer Science agent, the face of Halloween can be transmogrified in creative and healthful ways. Bresin has collected a bunch of ideas, and there is still plenty of time to try them out. The first step is to agree ahead of time that after a party or a trick-or-treat mission, only a certain number of items will be kept. But why would any kid in their right mind go along with such a plan?
Parents could bring to life a useful mythological character called the Switch Witch, who will obligingly carry away the majority of the Halloween swag on her broomstick, and leave a toy or other non-sugary reward in its place. Actually, the Switch Witch idea has been around for a while, and an in-depth examination of it can be found online thanks to witch explainer Lisa Steinke.
From other sites, books, dolls, and probably other products are available. In fact, YouTube even hosts several delightful explanatory videos, produced by various Switch Witch enthusiasts.
Treats to make
Bresin offers instructions for several make-at-home food creations, like cheese quesadillas or orange peppers in the form of jack-o-lanterns; apple teeth; the monster mouth; “candy corn” skewers; pretzel spiders; and edible eyeballs.
As time goes on, more and more grownups are boarding the healthful Halloween train and inventing treats that are fanciful and fun, and that can be made by children themselves with the proper supplies. Here is a list of several other web pages that talk about healthful Halloween treats, better practices, adaptable customs, and innovative ideas to help make the holiday less strenuous and certainly less likely to lead to obesity!
- Sugar Free (and Low Carb) Halloween Treats
- 11 No-Sugar Halloween Treats the Kids Will Be Screaming For
- 30 Sugar-Free Treats for Halloween
- 40 Healthy Halloween Treats to Hand Out
- 52 Healthy Halloween Treats for Kids
- The Switch Witch (Save Your Kids From Halloween Candy Madness)!
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Halloween doesn’t need to be all about candy,” LakerLutzNews.com, 10/20/21
Source: “Switch Witch: Good or bad idea?,” SheKnows.com. 10/19/21
Image by Cozinhando Fantasias/CC BY-ND 2.0
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