It's that time of year again- Halloween is here! I have to say that this holiday has evolved to a very different experience for me than when I was a child. As a child, I didn't think twice about candy- I just ate it- especially the chocolate that I'd hide from my brothers.
Today, I am responsible for the health of four amazing children, and I take that responsibility seriously. This is not to say I never allow any "fun" foods, but I do tread carefully in the land of junk food and make sure it doesn't become a staple in my kids' lives. What I want for my kids is for them to see junk food as either not food or holiday food (preferably not food).
Last year, I lucked out when my oldest daughter (6 years old at the time) decided to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. She didn't even accept the candy being offered to her. "No, thank you", she said. When she and her siblings came home from their neighborhood walk, we had a great time trick-or-treating in our house. My husband, teenage son and I each handed out healthier treats that our younger children love, as they knocked on closet and bedroom doors that we pretended to be our "houses".
This year, my oldest daughter (now 7) wants to trick-or-treat for the animals. She plans to collect money to donate to www.mercyforanimals.org
My younger daughter is still excited about the candy that she'll collect, even though she'll filter out a large portion of it to the "toss" pile, due to animal-derived ingredients. This will leave only a few pieces of candy that she may or may not want. Either way, she will still get to enjoy the homemade goodies we'll hand out when the crew comes home from their walk.
Yes, the thought of those few pieces of candy is grating on my mind, so here is another thought. Wouldn't it be great if people handed out something other than candy? Stickers, glow bracelets, organic raisins... Ok, maybe not organic raisins. I tried that last year, and a boy threw his box of raisins back into our yard when he thought I wasn't looking.
Disease Proof has a great article about Halloween candy alternatives:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-parenting-how-can-you-turn-halloween-into-a-funfilled-time-for-your-children-while-keeping-it-not-too-frightening-for-you.html
No need to take all of the fun out of Halloween. If we start with our children, we can create a future where the holiday season doesn't kick off with a bag of poor nutrition. Change the contents of the bag, and you will change the health of the children.
By Jennifer Gloodt
Today, I am responsible for the health of four amazing children, and I take that responsibility seriously. This is not to say I never allow any "fun" foods, but I do tread carefully in the land of junk food and make sure it doesn't become a staple in my kids' lives. What I want for my kids is for them to see junk food as either not food or holiday food (preferably not food).
Last year, I lucked out when my oldest daughter (6 years old at the time) decided to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. She didn't even accept the candy being offered to her. "No, thank you", she said. When she and her siblings came home from their neighborhood walk, we had a great time trick-or-treating in our house. My husband, teenage son and I each handed out healthier treats that our younger children love, as they knocked on closet and bedroom doors that we pretended to be our "houses".
This year, my oldest daughter (now 7) wants to trick-or-treat for the animals. She plans to collect money to donate to www.mercyforanimals.org
My younger daughter is still excited about the candy that she'll collect, even though she'll filter out a large portion of it to the "toss" pile, due to animal-derived ingredients. This will leave only a few pieces of candy that she may or may not want. Either way, she will still get to enjoy the homemade goodies we'll hand out when the crew comes home from their walk.
Yes, the thought of those few pieces of candy is grating on my mind, so here is another thought. Wouldn't it be great if people handed out something other than candy? Stickers, glow bracelets, organic raisins... Ok, maybe not organic raisins. I tried that last year, and a boy threw his box of raisins back into our yard when he thought I wasn't looking.
Disease Proof has a great article about Halloween candy alternatives:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-parenting-how-can-you-turn-halloween-into-a-funfilled-time-for-your-children-while-keeping-it-not-too-frightening-for-you.html
No need to take all of the fun out of Halloween. If we start with our children, we can create a future where the holiday season doesn't kick off with a bag of poor nutrition. Change the contents of the bag, and you will change the health of the children.
By Jennifer Gloodt
