Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween is almost here. Costumes, trick-or-treaters and free candy galore! What’s not to love, right?!? Well, that constant bombardment of chocolate and goodies may not be a good thing for those of us trying to avoid added sugars or sticking to some nutrition or athletic goals. Don’t let the abundance of sweets spook you off your dietary choices. Approach these festivities armed with tactics to fend off the Halloween candy coma.

• Wait until last minute to buy candy to give out – who says you must get candy a week in advance? Minimize the number of days the candy is in your house beforehand so you don’t have it laying around for a long time, increasing the temptation to dig in
• Don’t purchase your favourite candy to give to trick-or-treaters – choose a treat you can easily resist to have in your house. Like chocolate, get lollipops; enjoy chewy gummies, get crunchy chips…
• Hit up the local bulk food store – why buy a giant bag of Halloween candy and have leftovers you will be tempted to eat to finish them. Buy just the right amount based on previous year at the Bulk Food store, saving your waistline and wallet. Make sure you get the wrapped candies still
• Out of sight, out of mind – once you buy the candy, store it in a place you don’t often see frequently until someone rings on your doorbell. Don't keep the candy sitting out as you'll be more likely to grab a piece here and there whether you are or aren’t truly craving sweets. With leftovers, if you're tempted by an in-house candy stash, take it to work or give it to friends/ family so other people can enjoy it.

• Think before you chew – you are sitting at home watching TV and a craving for that candy strikes. Before you give in, ask yourself, am I hungry, am I thirsty or am I feeling X emotion? Emotional eating and cravings are hard when candy is readily available, but try to identify what you are feeling and do a different activity to calm that emotion. Still craving? Try making yourself a healthy snack.
• Keep track of your intake – given that Halloween candy is fun, bite sized pieces they often go down very quickly and before realizing it you can be 10 pieces in. It's easy to keep going back for "just one more" fun-sized candy bar, but those calories add up fast. Keep track of how many you are eating by either writing it in a visible place, logging it in a food diary or app, or keeping all your finished wrappers in one place you can see.
• Savour one piece at a day – Completely restricting yourself of candy can actually set you up for an all-out binge. Indulge your sweet tooth, but make it planned. Decide what time of day you most want the sweet stuff, and save your special treat for that time. Then sit back and slowly savor the taste sensation.
• Focus on maintaining your regular diet – dramatically cutting calories from regular foods to allow yourself more room for candies or to make up for one too many never did anyone any good. Instead, eat filling meals high in protein and fiber, and drink plenty of water. Fueling your body properly will leave you less likely to have cravings or hunger pangs set in when you are exposed to candy.
• Treat trick or treating like a workout – walking around with your kids burns calories! Make it a race to up the intensity, do some extra loops around the block to check out other people’s costumes
• Don’t feel guilt! Forgive yourself. Everybody loves candy. If you have a piece, just enjoy it and then let it go. Getting frustrated with yourself will only start a downward trend that will spike your cortisol stress hormone and make you hold belly fat. Take a deep breath and enjoy the holidays! 

Think before you chew: Consider more than just the calories & fat per serving! Amount of sugar is an important consideration as this could impact your blood sugars leaving you to crave more after just one. Also ask your, can I stop myself after just one serving? One Swedish Fish package is lower in calories compared to others, leading many to believe they can have more. Before you know it you have 3 packages and you have consumed more than the Reese’s cup you actually wanted. Pick wisely and remember to enjoy Halloween!  Remember, health is about finding a balance and sometimes that balance includes candies, the trick is to find that balance in your overall lifestyle choices.  The treat is obviously the chocolate! Happy Halloween! 









Alysha Coughler, RD, MHsC, PTS
Sports Dietitian with Evolved Sport and Nutrition
Complete Lifestyle Management

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