The Diet Detective: 10 Halloween Tricks and Treats

 

5. Healthy Treats Exist  

Healthy treats that taste good really do exist. For instance, Ghirardelli 60 Percent Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares (10.75 grams each) have 55 calories, but they also have at least 0.75 grams fiber, 0.5 grams protein and loads of antioxidants.
 
And then there are Snackimals (www.worldpantry.com) made with organic grains. I also like Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Dr. Krackers (www.drkracker.com), which are made with organic whole-wheat flour. Eight crackers have 120 calories, 4 grams fiber and 6 grams protein. Along the same cracker lines there are also Mr. Krispers (http://mrkrispers.elsstore.com/) and Mary's Gone Crackers – Original Seed Cracker (www.marysgonecrackers.com )--for 13 crackers you get 140 calories, 3 grams fiber and 3 grams protein.
 
Popchips (www.popchips.com) are also tasty, and you get about 22 popped potato chips for 120 calories, almost double the number of fried or baked chips you’d get for the same number of calories.
And what about those delicious Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTops? They have only 100 calories each, along with 5 grams fiber and other nutrients. Another good choice would be Brothers-All-Natural Freeze-Dried Fruit Crisps (www.brothersallnatural.com), which are nothing but freeze-dried fruit. An entire bag has only 39 calories. And last but certainly not least, Larabars mini-bars are lower in calories than other bars and are made with all-natural ingredients. They're available in Whole Foods and Kroger Supermarkets nationwide. The suggested retail is $9.49 for 12.
 

6. Use the Research

According to research done at Yale University and reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, children are just as likely to choose toys as candy on Halloween. For the study, seven households offered 284 trick or treaters between the ages of 3 and 14 a choice between comparably sized toys and candies. The results showed that the children were just as likely to choose the toys as the candy. How about these toys: pencils (go to http://rootsandwingsco.blogspot.com/2009/09/pumpkin-pencil-topper-aka-non-candy.html for a way to make cute Halloween pencils), bubbles, play dough, Silly Putty.
 

7. Swap It Out

The kids are sorting through their take, and they're loaded with candy or, in other words, junk. Obviously one day with candy is not so bad, but now you're facing weeks of candy abuse. Why not offer to swap the candy for something bigger, maybe something the child has wanted for a long time? Sound far-fetched? Try it and you’ll be amazed. I've seen it work several times firsthand. 
 

8. Don’t Go Too Far Out

Don't buy Halloween candy too far in advance; that way you'll have less time to eat it before you give it away!
 

9. Don’t Enjoy

Buy candy you don’t really like so that you're not tempted to overindulge.
 

10. Fill Up

Eat! Make sure to fill yourself up with a nutritious lunch or dinner before trick or treating so that you’re less likely to dip into the candy bag.