A HEALTHY HALLOWEEN

Healthy is different for everyone. For some adults, limiting sweets is the right choice for them (for example, after bariatric surgery), for others, adding in a bit extra might be right (for example, someone coming out of eating disorder recovery). When it comes to kids (particularly those under 8), they generally don’t understand their limits yet when it comes to food, and our ‘soul foods’, like chocolate/lollies. They will need guidance on how to balance nutritious foods that make our body feel and work at it’s best with including soul foods in moderation.

But how do we do Halloween without eating too many sweets? How can we encourage moderation without shaming or demonising our soul foods? (as this can lead to poor relationship with food). Below we have a few tips on (secretly) limiting your child’s sweet intake this trick-or-treating while still giving them the freedom to explore ALL foods.

1.      Take a smaller bag – once it is full, go home

2.      Limit the number of houses you visit. Maybe getting them to choose only the coolest decorated ones?

3.      Save the lolly eating for at home (also reduces choking risk!)

4.      Pick activities that don’t involve sweets

5.      Serve a filling dinner before going trick-or-treating

6.      Go out for a shorter amount of time (eg maybe limit to 30 minutes)

7.      Sit with them at the table and enjoy the lollies mindfully together – talk about their taste, colour, texture

8.      Store it out of sight (if they are young enough), or eat some yourself during nap time!

Give these tips a try this year to help set your little one up for a good relationship with food and their body around one of the biggest binge eating triggers of the year.

Written by Nadia. Ward Nutrition Accredited Practising Dietitian. Pediatric Dietitian .