# The Top 3 Ways to Keep Children Eating Healthy on Halloween



## Ballwin (Nov 1, 2009)

For those parents among you who are “in the know” regarding the safety, well-being, health, and most specifically the body weight of your children (hopefully all of you parents reading this article), Americans are suffering from the disease of obesity in numbers which make it the a reigning epidemic. Unfortunately, children are no less susceptible to this “battle of the bulge” than we, the adults, are; even worse, poor health leaves American children vulnerable to diseases that are even more serious than obesity. Indeed, some of these overweight children who do not eat healthy, are already picking up one of the worst habits to have: overeating, not exercising enough, and not maintaining a proper diet.

The situation is not without hope for America's young, in fact it's far from hopeless. Children have plenty of time to start learning proper eating habits, and make no mistake, it starts at home. Consider Halloween when you were younger; it was a fun holiday where you Trick or Treated and got all sorts of candy. This memory is undoubtedly similar to the rest of us who celebrated Halloween, but also remember this: the world is a different place now. 

The food that we received during Trick of Treating as children, one of the year's most festive times for kids, is not the same as it was twenty years ago...as nothing is. Food is more sugar-laden, especially candy, and not all people give just candy as Halloween treats. What about the well-meaning woman in your neighborhood that gives out Candy Apples for treats; drenched in syrup that will ensure that your child is up all night after Trick or Treating while gaining another three pounds to boot? 

Sure, your child has had fun Trick or Treating as they're supposed to, but this isn't helping to instill good dieting habits at all. I'm not trying to suck all of the fun out of Halloween in a world where it is so rare. You can have the most amount of fun while being 100% safe. The childhood experience of Trick or Treating can be one of them if you, the parent, play your cards right. That being said, parents, I have exactly five ways in which you and your child can have a safe, happy, and most importantly, healthy Halloween that'll have your child in bed by 9:30 and with not a single pound gained from their rich Halloween experience.

1. *Vegan Treats* – You may not be able to control what other parents give your children, but you can control what you give to other children in your neighborhood. Vegan treats or non-candy treats such as minty gum or sugarless candy will make sure that children are not hyper all night after their trick or treating, and the parents you give them to may actually thank you. You may have to do a bit of legwork for vegan treats; try your local herbs shop or the Internet.

2. *“Treat Meets”* - This is the best way for parents to control what their children eat on Halloween because it gives the children the ability to throw a mini-party and all the while, you, the parents, are keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't eat too little or too much candy during post-trick or treating. Treat meets allow parents to do several things: to collectively monitor all the children in the social circle before, during, and after trick or treating, watch how much candy they eat after trick or treating, and even allow the parents who accompany the children to let other parents know what candy the child can or cannot receive. 

3. *Presents!* - Yes, it's just a wee-too-early for Christmas, but trust me, a child won't complain in the least bit if they receive a Halloween gift in their bag instead of starch-filled candy. Many a Halloween store, or even a store which sells party favors carries such fun Halloween gifts as confetti, puppets, stuffed animals, coloring and comic books, even toys. Thirty dollars at your local Dollar Store will definitely go a long way in providing the neighborhood children with a healthy Halloween experience that they will never forget.

Ted is a freelance writer and medical scientist with a particular interest in the children obesity research field. He often writes for weightlosstriumph.com, where he posts reviews about online weight loss diets and savings codes for Medifast diet.


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