It’s hard not to get excited when the bags of Halloween candy start showing up on store shelves. Kids can’t wait to go trick-or-treating, then come home and wolf down everything they’ve scored.

A lot of parents look forward to dressing up and passing out the candy — and maybe grabbing a piece or two — as they go to answer the door. They may even open a bag in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

Think about it. How often have you had to replace a bag of Halloween candy because you or someone in your house couldn’t fight the temptation?

It’s OK to treat yourself, but remember these are high-calorie, high-fat, sugar-dense snacks that are not good for you. So, here are some tips to keep you and your kids from overindulging around Halloween.

For the Adults

You need to be an example for your kids. It can also get expensive if you’re always replacing bags of Halloween candy because you can’t stay away from it. To keep that from happening:

• Don’t buy what you like — That’s a terrible temptation. You don’t want to be the place with the bad candy, but think about some treats your kids like that aren’t your favorites. 
• Put it away — It’s easier to forget it’s there if you don’t see it. Put it in an inconvenient place. Up in a closet or a high cabinet. You can even freeze most candy. If it’s still too tempting, have someone with more willpower hide it from you.
• Eat dinner Halloween night — Don’t answer the door hungry. It will be tempting to over-indulge.

For the Kids

Just like you need to eat before the ghosts and goblins start arriving at your door, so do your kids. They don’t need a big meal that will weigh them down – but have them eat some fruits or grains. These have low calorie density, meaning they fill them up without having to eat too much.

Here are a few tips to keep them from consuming a frightening number of treats on Halloween, and to make sure what they eat is safe.

• Give them a smaller bucket or bag — They can’t bring too much home if they can’t carry too much.
• Don’t let them snack while they’re out — This is also important for safety reasons. We’ll go over that in a minute.
• Make sure it’s wrapped — Warn your kids not to accept items that aren’t commercially wrapped. If it’s commercially wrapped it likely hasn’t been tampered with.
• Food allergies — That’s another reason to make sure they don’t snack along the way. You don’t want them eating anything they’re allergic to.
• Choking hazards — Little kids like trick-or-treating too, but some treats — gum, hard candies, peanuts, small toys — are choking hazards.

Back at Home

Once you’re get back it’s important to go through your kids’ haul to make sure that nothing looks suspicious. You may be surrounded by great people, but candy tampering could have happened before they got hold of it.

This also gives you a chance to set some ground rules for candy consumption. It is OK to let your kids splurge a little on Halloween. But put the rest away and dole it out smartly. Make it treats for after meals or have it accompanied by a healthy snack. Also, don’t volunteer any candy if they don’t ask about it.

Your Kids Are Sweet Enough

AltaMed is here to take care of your mini monsters at every stage of their life. We have the immunizations they need for school and well child visits they need from birth on. We also offer pediatric dentistry to monitor for any cavities that can come from a few too many sweets.

To get started with us, visit AltaMed.org or call (877) 462-2582.