A Balanced Approach to Holiday Treats
Written by: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)
We know that foods is an important part of many holiday traditions. Halloween is fast approaching and the stores are stocked with all kinds of candy. In addition to the tailgate parties or spreads associated with both college football or the NFL, we are entering a season of parties and celebrations that are intimately associated with foods such as cookies, candy, party platters, and alcohol: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Instead of worrying about the next several months, try to manage one holiday at a time and consider some new traditions.
Since holiday activities are a great way to have fun and catch up with friends are family, consider some tips to kick off the season. Halloween is for those of all ages and those fun-size candies seems to be everywhere, including work. If you know you are likely to eat several throughout the day, instead of putting the wrappers in the trash, keep them visible so you don’t lose track of how many you consumed. If you know that you will have a hard time limiting these extra goodies, be intentional about choosing the one(s) that you truly love and pass on the ones you aren’t really interested in. When planning and preparing for the work week, try to bring extra snacks with you that are aligned with your health goals. This could be some whole fruit, trail mix, or popcorn. Keep in mind that you are probably not the only one trying to make or stick to healthy changes – consider finding some coworkers who want to find (or share) healthier options. This is also a great opportunity to get others involved in a challenge to drink more water or to get more physically active by setting some step or mileage goals. The holidays are entering at the same time that it is getting darker out earlier and the weather is getting cooler. People are likely not spending as much time outside and would welcome the opportunity to incorporate healthy habits at work.
If you love the idea of celebrating holidays with food, Halloween is a great time to practice your creative skills! With the latest trend of charcuterie boards, you can use this concepts for a CharBOOterie board with cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, olives, and chocolates. If you are looking to get festive with your dinner menu, try incorporating some fall foods and flavors such as pumpkin, apples, or winter squash into your menu. Experimenting with fall herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, or ginger is another way to embrace the season. You can enjoy a healthy balanced meal and add some fun snacks and appetizers as well. You may enjoy finding some new traditions this season such as Halloween-themed recipes you can make with the whole family. Check out the link for a variety of fun recipes including mini mummy pizzas, bat energy bites, or spiderweb guacamole!
You may not be someone who likes to participate in trick-or-treating and that is ok. This may be a good opportunity to meet friends out for dinner and establish your own traditions.
For those participating in trick-or-treating:
Healthier Treats
Instead of mindless grabbing a huge bag of candy, consider healthier treats or offer alternatives to the traditional bite-sized treats. This may include packages of dried fruit, pretzels, trail mix, individual applesauce containers or squeeze pouches, or other small snack items. Ok, ok, if you believe that Halloween treats MUST be a certain type of candy, perhaps do not stock up on personal favorites in case there are leftovers you will be less tempted to keep (and eat) them all!
Other Treats
Some people may want to consider non-food options. Aside from less sugar, this also allows those with food allergies to have a little fun. Think about items that you may find in a birthday party goodie bag. Some ideas may include stickers, spider rings, temporary tattoos, pencils, fun erasers, glow sticks, or small toys.
Halloween Dinner
Be sure to make time to eat a balanced meal before heading out. Going out hungry is more likely to lead to snacking on treats in-between houses and overindulging at the end of the night.
Before and After the Haul
Have plan prior to Halloween night when everyone is very excited. This is a great time to talk to kids about moderation and making healthy choices. Let them know beforehand what the expectation is on how much they may take at each house and how much they will be allowed to keep and eat. One option is to allow them to keep enough to have a piece or two each day for a week or two until they are no longer excited about it. Try to pair the candy with a healthy snack such as a whole fruit or veggies. If there is just too much candy, most kids won’t be upset about giving up on their (hard earned) candy if you offer to trade for a fun activity like going to a movie or to a trampoline park. If you prefer to repurpose the candy, you may want to save it to fill a pinata at the next birthday party, use in a project, or save what you can to help decorate a gingerbread house. If you would like to donate the candy, you can donate to a homeless shelter or to care packages that are sent to troops overseas – sometimes a familiar treat can be comforting around the holidays. Many dental offices participate in a Halloween buy back program where you can trade in your candy for incentives like coupons, toys or other prizes. Depending on their age, let kids help decide what to do with all of the extra candy.
Tap here to check out our featured recipe: Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Rebecca Katz Kitchen