{"id":3518,"date":"2025-10-05T14:00:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T19:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3518"},"modified":"2025-10-05T07:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T12:19:12","slug":"how-to-have-a-healthy-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=3518","title":{"rendered":"How To Have a Healthy Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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How To Have a Healthy Halloween<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tToo much Halloween candy got you spooked? Try some of these healthy tips for party snacks and trick-or-treats. Ideas so good, it\u2019s scary!<\/b><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t Curb the candy craze <\/b>

\n\nThe kids look adorable in their costumes and are counting down the days until Oct. 31! Are you ready for the sugar rush. Whether you\u2019re having a party with friends or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, with a little creativity, you can find fun ways to include some healthy options in the mix.

\n\n Try these tips to make your Halloween festivities a little healthier for your family, party guests and trick-or-treaters.

\nFor the trick-or-treater <\/b>

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  • Fill up first. <\/b> What kid doesn\u2019t want to eat their favorite candy right when it goes into their trick-or-treat bag? Having a healthy meal BEFORE your kids go trick-or-treating can reduce their temptation to snack while walking or to overindulge because their tummies will be full. <\/li>
  • \n\n Bag the monster bag. <\/b>Choose or make a smaller collection container for your child and steer clear of the pillowcase method. If you encourage kids to only take one piece of candy from each house, they\u2019ll be able to visit more houses in the neighborhood. <\/li>
  • \n\n Get moving. <\/b>Get some exercise by making Halloween a fun family activity. Walk instead of driving kids from house to house. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you\u2019ll visit, or compete in teams to do as many as you can. Bring a bottle of water and a flashlight, and wear comfortable shoes for walking. <\/li>
  • \n\n Look before you eat. <\/b>Check expiration dates and inspect all edibles before allowing children to eat them. Don\u2019t let children eat anything with questionable or unknown ingredients, especially if they have food allergies. <\/li>
  • \n\n Have a plan. <\/b> Halloween, and Eat Smart Month in November, can be a great time to talk with kids about moderation and making smart eating choices. Plan in advance how much candy they\u2019ll be allowed to take at each house, keep and eat. If they\u2019re old enough, let them help decide what to do with excess candy. See our suggestions later on in this article. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n For the party host<\/b>

    \n\n
    • Up the fright factor. <\/b> Serve healthy snacks dressed up in the Halloween theme. There are lots of creative ideas being shared online at this time of year, such as banana ghosts, apple monster mouths, carrot witch fingers and candy-corn-colored fruit popsicles or parfaits! <\/li>
    • \n\n Play with food. <\/b>Incorporate healthy foods into party activities, such as decorating oranges like jack-o\u2019-lanterns and bobbing for apples. <\/li>
    • \n\n Keep \u2019em on their feet. <\/b> Include plenty of physical activities, such as a zombie dance party, three-legged monster race, spider crawl or pumpkin toss. <\/li>
    • \n\n Rethink the drink. <\/b> Don\u2019t forget that cutting back on sugary treats includes soda and sugar-sweetened beverages. Offer water, unsweetened tea, 100% juice or fat-free\/low-fat milk instead. Make a Halloween-themed punch from sparkling water and a splash of 100% orange juice, garnished with plenty of orange slices and black grapes or blackberries. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n For the stay-at-home crew <\/b>

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      • No self-service. <\/b>Hand out treats to each trick-or-treater \u2013 one per child \u2013 instead of letting them decide how much to take. If you have more than one item, ask them to choose which they prefer. This can help you get control of your Halloween budget, too! <\/li>
      • \n\n Avoid the whole mess. <\/b>Want to avoid candy altogether, not to mention masses of kids at your door? Dress your family up in costumes and go see a movie or deliver healthy Halloween treats to your local police or fire station, nursing home or children\u2019s hospital. <\/li>
      • \n\n Be that house. <\/b>You don\u2019t have to pass out candy on Halloween. Start a new tradition and give out healthier treats or non-edible items. Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not talking about toothbrushes! Get creative, and keep it colorful and kid-friendly. Here are some ideas. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n Healthier Treats: <\/b>

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        • Clementines, blood oranges or oranges decorated like jack-o\u2019-lanterns (with nontoxic ink) <\/li>
        • \n 100% juice boxes or pouches<\/li>
        • \n Snack-sized packages of pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, dried fruit or vegetables, trail mix, nuts or pumpkin seeds<\/li>
        • \n 100% real fruit strips, ropes or leathers<\/li>
        • \n Squeezable yogurt tubes or pouches<\/li>
        • \n Single-serving containers of mandarin oranges<\/li>
        • \n Sugar-free gum<\/li><\/ul>\n\n Non-edible items: <\/b>

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          • Glow sticks or small glow-in-the-dark toys <\/li>
          • \n Bouncy balls<\/li>
          • \n Mini plush toys and wind-up toys<\/li>
          • \n Crayons and coloring books (or intricate coloring pages for older kids) <\/li>
          • \n Stickers or stamps<\/li>
          • \n Temporary tattoos<\/li>
          • \n Bubble makers<\/li>
          • \n Spider rings or vampire teeth<\/li>
          • \n Slime, putty or squishy toys<\/li>
          • \n Friendship bracelets<\/li><\/ul>\n\nBe careful to avoid giving very small items that could be a choking hazard to little ones.

            \nWhat to do with excess candy<\/b>

            \n\nAfraid you\u2019ll be dealing with an excess of Halloween treats until long after Valentine\u2019s Day? Here are some ideas for enjoying the evening\u2019s haul responsibly and getting rid of leftover candy:

            \n\n
            • Let each child keep enough candy to have one or two pieces a day for one or two weeks \u2012 long enough for the excitement to wane. Throw away, donate or repurpose the rest. <\/li>
            • \n\n When your child asks for a piece of candy, pair it with a healthy snack: an apple, a banana, some nuts or celery with peanut butter. <\/li>
            • \n\n \u201cBuy back\u201d candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade in for a fun activity: a day at the zoo, an afternoon playing at the park, ice skating or a day at the pool. <\/li>
            • \n\n Some dentists\u2019 offices have buy-back or trade-in programs, too. <\/li>
            • \n\n Save it for holiday baking. <\/li>
            • \n\n Save it to fill the pi\u00f1ata at the next birthday celebration or give out with Valentine cards. <\/li>
            • \n\n Use it in an arts and crafts project or to decorate a holiday gingerbread house. <\/li>
            • \n\n Donate excess candy to a homeless shelter, children\u2019s hospital or care package program for troops overseas. A familiar sweet treat from home can be comforting at the holidays. <\/li><\/ul>\n Have no fear \u2013 you got this! Let\u2019s make Halloween fun, spooky and a little healthier, too. <\/b>


              \n\nContributor: American Heart Association<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              How To Have a Healthy Halloween Too much Halloween candy got you spooked? Try some of these healthy tips for party snacks and trick-or-treats. Ideas so good, it\u2019s scary! Curb the candy craze The kids look adorable in their costumes and are counting down the days until Oct. 31! Are you ready for the sugar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7,4,9,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-news-and-information","category-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3518"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3522,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3518\/revisions\/3522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}