Three Quality of Life Hacks for a Healthier Halloween

It’s that time of year again when the streets are filled with spooky decorations, carved pumpkins and children dressed as their favorite characters. The Halloween holiday means stockpiles of candy will likely be around your house or office, making it hard to resist extra sweets. And while sugar is fine in moderation, excessive sugar consumption can lead to weigh gain, obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the CDC recommends that we get no more than 10 percent of our daily calories from sugar.

So, how can we make this holiday a slightly less sugary one? We know it can be difficult to sidestep your favorites, but it starts with taking small steps. Try these three Quality of Life hacks to make your Halloween healthier.

Alternative Halloween Snacks: Halloween snacking doesn’t have to be high in sugar. There is an abundance of options that kids will love, too. You can create your own sweet and scary snacks for Halloween using healthier alternatives. Try cutting and arranging fruits and veggies to look like pumpkins, ghosts, or mummies. Not only are these snacks healthier, but they can also be a fun project to do with kids.

Purchase Candy at the Last Minute: Having candy around your house or office for days just give you more time to be tempted by it. In order to avoid overindulging, wait to buy Halloween candy either right before Halloween or the day of. This way, you won’t be tempted to snag a few pieces days before. Buy less than what you think you need to avoid having leftovers. Also, consider buying candy that you don’t really like. If you happen to have leftovers of the disliked candy, you can give it away.

Eat a Healthy Meal Before You Start Trick-or-Treating: If you and your kids are full before trick-or-treating, you will be less likely to overeat candy when the night is over. Serving a healthy dinner beforehand will fill everyone up. When trick-or-treating is over, give kids a glass of warm low-fat milk to drink as they eat a piece of candy or two to ensure blood sugar is stable before bedtime, suggests Active.com.

There are plenty of ways to make this sugary holiday into a healthier one. Of course, it’s all about moderation: If you eat a healthy diet year round, a few pieces of candy around Halloween is okay.

How do you turn the Halloween holiday into a healthier one? Tell us in the comments on Sodexo Insights.