Have a Healthy Halloween!

Today is Halloween, and even though the first word that comes to mind for many of us when we think about Halloween is "candy", the holiday doesn't have to revolve around sweet treats in order to be fun.  You can have a more healthy lower sugar Halloween experience by using some of the following tips:

From Snack Girl, comes ten tips for a healthy Halloween. I especially like numbers 6 and 7:

6. If your children are young, tell them about the CANDY FAIRY. My six year old bought the idea that she could put her candy out and a fairy would replace it with a toy. She is truly excited about giving away her candy - magic, no?

7. If your children are old enough to understand, try making a care package of candy for a soldier in Afghanistan. There are a bunch of different organizations that can help you find a way to cheer up a soldier. One example is Any Soldier. They seem to always be looking for snack food.

Now, some of Snack Girl's candy tips might not be up your alley, but if you are okay with the idea of handing out an inedible item to Trick or Treaters, the American Dental Association has teamed up with Pop Cap Games to offer free downloads of its wildly popular game Plants -vs- Zombies.  You can download coupons to hand out here.  The ADA's colleagues at the Center for Science in the Public Interest have also come up with this comprehensive handout detailing healthy Halloween ideas that you can use at parties and for trick or treaters. There are many recipes and craft ideas that will entertain groups of all ages without consuming large amounts of sugar.

Whatever your plans for this holiday, I hope it's safe, delicious and fun!
-Melissa