Costume decisions aren’t the only ones to be made. With candy bowls out and classroom parties planned, it’s time to decide how your family will mindfully celebrate Halloween.
When it comes to Halloween and every other holiday, ask yourself:
- What do I want our family traditions to be?
- What isn't serving us?
- How can I celebrate without sugar?
I’m paving a lower-sugar path below for you and your family to follow this Halloween. No sugar highs or candy meltdowns. Just intentional boundaries, yeses you feel good about, and all the tips for a Halloween full of memories you actually want to keep.
The Effects of Sugar Over Consumption in Children
The spookiest part of Halloween is the widespread over-consumption of sugar, particularly targeting children. Whether it's sugary drinks, wrapped candy, or baked goods, the effects of sugar consumption are scary:
- Increases chances of developing metabolic syndrome and chronic lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and pcos later in life (source, source, source).
- Makes children more vulnerable by negatively impacting learning and retention (working memory) while depleting nutrient stores (source, source).
This sort of research means it's more important than ever to take stock of the sugar in your home and swap it out or remove it altogether. You can learn more on the importance and how-to around feeding your child for optimal blood sugar balance in my Fab Four Parenting Course.
Why Boundaries Between Children and Sugar Are Healthy
Kids need boundaries around sugar and here’s why: Children have an affinity for sugar that’s close to 10x that of an adult. Plus, their frontal lobes aren’t fully developed to make decisions around consumption based on their own best interest.
Parents need to create boundaries for their child (or with them, depending on age appropriateness) to determine how to indulge and when to cut it off. Boundaries and routines set by parents create predictability, which reduces power struggles, arguments, and uncertainty around sugar. Boundaries make for a healthier child who feels a strong sense of connection and safety.
But as parents, we still want our children to celebrate and make all the holiday memories. I get it! This is exactly why I create boundaries. Think of boundaries as the bumpers that keep your child in the fun lane. They allow for a little bit of responsible sugar consumption while steering your child clear of the fatigue, bellyaches, hyperactivity, and meltdowns that come with too much sugar.
10 Tips for a Healthier Halloween
1. Set your boundaries before the big day.
And talk about them with your child. Positively and with excitement: “Mommy wants you to feel your best because we have so many fun activities planned this next week! For that reason, sometimes we’re going to say no to the candies and treats that aren’t good for your body and don’t make you feel good.”
Depending on your child’s age, this can be more or less collaborative. Your goal is to provide clarity on what your child should expect. This will mitigate meltdowns and clear uncertainty, all while protecting your child’s short and long term health.
2. Plan for healthy traditions sans the sugar.
Find ways to celebrate the season that are nourishing, non-sugar, and still super fun. You are in control, and you have the opportunity to plan and celebrate your way! Some LeVeque family favorites include food-free entertainment and things that get our bodies moving:
- Watch a spooky Halloween movie together.
- Read all the fun Halloween books: Room on the Broom, Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, How to Catch a Monster, and The Goodnight Train Halloween.
- Make homemade costumes.
- Hit a pumpkin patch and go for a hayride.
- Walk around the neighborhood to look at Halloween decorations.
- Carve (or paint) pumpkins together.
- Implement a Halloween Hike (similar to a Turkey Trot or Santa Run)
- Make veggie skeletons together (a great activity to plan for your child’s entire class at school!)
3. Focus on blood sugar balance.
The Fab Four Formula is my loosely structured and easy-to-implement formula for attaining blood sugar balance. All you need is protein, fat, fiber, and greens. Especially before trick-or-treating and/or parties where sugar will be consumed, it’s important to eat Fab Four-style. This helps blunt the impact of sugar consumption and ensures cravings for more are minimized.
4. Hydrate optimally.
In addition to eating the Fab Four, hydrating optimally is another way to encourage blood sugar balance. Make sure your child is hydrating during the day on Halloween, and bring water with LMNT electrolytes to sip on while trick-or-treating in the evening.
And just in time for the holidays, you don’t want to miss out on LMNT's limited-edition Chocolate Medley bundle, launching 10/29, featuring Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chai, and Chocolate Raspberry. These flavors are meant to be enjoyed hot, perfect for cozying up with a delicious hot chocolate chai while you’re out and about or winding down. It’s a fantastic way to satisfy your sweet tooth while getting into the holiday spirit— without the sugar crash.
5. Consume on the move.
Enjoy any candy that you or your child plan to eat while on the move. One of the best ways to lower blood sugar is to put your muscles to use! When being fired, muscles suck up excess glucose (sugar) out of the blood and use it for energy. So don’t be afraid to walk briskly from house to house or take the long way back home.
6. Sort it and save just a few (or don’t…and keep reading for other ideas!).
What child doesn’t love to sort his candy when he returns from trick-or-treating?! That’s half the fun! While I’m not a fan of the candy, I have zero problem with my boys admiring their piles and sorting them according to however they want. Colors, shapes, big or small!
At this point, you can let your child choose a couple of pieces to save. If you prefer your child not consume any of the candy he received, keep reading to see how you can explore alternative options like swapping for healthier candy brands or planning a visit from the Switch Witch!
7. Swap for something better.
We are fortunate to have alternative candy options from several brands who are vowing to do better. Minimizing sugar, pulling the dyes, improving the ingredient list. I love to offer “better swaps” to my boys when they pick out their “keeper” pieces. You want Skittles? Cool, bud, how about these dye-free Giggles that are just as good! Reeses? Let’s do Evolved Organic Hazelnut Cups (only 1g sugar!) that taste even better!
My favorite candy options have monk fruit, stevia, or allulose sugar (that doesn't impact blood sugar), or they’re made with less sugar and have less impact:
Want more blood-sugar friendly treats and sugar swaps for Halloween? Check out this blog post on my favorite Healthier Halloween Candy Swaps!
8. Figure out how to say YES.
We don’t want our children to fear holidays, sugar, or parties. We want to teach them how to navigate them with mindfulness. For that reason, I’m a huge fan of figuring out your YES times. Have fun saying yes at the parties, trick-or-treating, and planned fun! (And fuel them to support their blood sugar balance.)
But remember that saying YES always feels best when we say NO, too. Here’s how to feel good about your yeses and your nos: 1) Say no to the random treat at Starbucks, the candy at the check-out line, and the beg for syrup-laden pancakes on a Tuesday morning. 2) Say no by proactively offering yes options: Do you want eggs or a smoothie for breakfast?
Yes feels good when it’s intentional. And when you’ve stayed true to your no.
9. Set a phone alarm to ditch the candy.
Trick-or-treating came and went. The classroom parties have passed. But, there’s still piles of candy in the house. Cue, the alarm. Literally.
Set an alarm for November 1st: The candy goes. Whatever you have to do to get it out of the house is what needs to be done. It is no longer festive and fun. It’s simply a liability for well-being, and certainly not something you or your child need to be staring at daily.
We love to trade ours out for a new toy, which has actually been more exciting to my boys than any piece of candy!
10. Nail your November 1.
New day. New month. Let’s get it! Nail your November 1st, starting with breakfast. Opt for an eggy Fab Four bowl. And don’t ditch the yolks! They are rich in choline and vitamin B, which promotes glutathione production - your body’s most potent antioxidant. Add sauteed spinach, peppers, onion, and even broccoli for added Vitamin C and phytonutrient power.
One of the pitfalls of holidays is when we fail to turn the page. Instead, we let one day of sugar turn into a habit. Not anymore. Starting with breakfast, you can solidify a healthy start to November and start the positive momentum from day 1.
Real Life Take: Halloween in the LeVeque Home
Want to know what Halloween looks like in the LeVeque home? We bought four bags of Smart Sweets to share with Bash until Halloween. We have Evolved Chocolate, freezer fudge, and Hu Kitchen around most of the time for weekend desserts. The Smart Sweets stash will be offered as an alternative to Bash if a neighbor, schoolmate, or friend has candy. We celebrate all month long with non-food activities like a trip to the pumpkin patch, costume planning, and watching Halloween movies. After trick-or-treating, we plan to let Bash keep 5-6 small sweets to enjoy the following week. And, I'll offer to swap him for any of the above candy in order to lower his intake. We will use the Switch Witch book and trade the rest of his candy for a toy on November 1st.
Resources:
- Need more help around sugar boundaries? Check out this blog for creating boundaries around sugar in school and sports right here!
- Want to know how to easily optimize your child’s blood sugar levels via food to create mood stability, even keel energy, and a happier little one? I got you!
- Need some healthy snacks for after the classroom party or trick-or-treat extravaganzas? I’ve got a Pinterest board full of them.
- If you want to follow along with my Halloween adventures IRL, you can be sure I’ll have some sweet family costume photos hit the grid on my Insta.
