Trick or Crap?

Healthy eating and Halloween are two ideas that don’t really go hand-in-hand.  As a newly adapted “clean-eater”, it makes it very difficult to raise a family and still follow the traditions that have been so ingrained not only in me, but our culture.  I don’t want to be the “mean mom” that won’t allow her children to go door-to-door, sporting their costumes and taking in all of the spooky decorations and lights around the neighborhood.  Forgoing the smell of autumn and candy and fear in the air ~ it doesn’t get much better than that!

But, my rational side doesn’t see a sack of fun Halloween treats anymore.  Once the loot is dumped on the table, I only see a mountain of high fructose corn syrup, sugar and everything artificial.  Yuck!  How can I in good conscience let my kids eat the crap that I spend all year teaching them against?  I would be a hypocrite.  “All of this stuff is horrible for you girls except on October 31.”  This contradictory rationale doesn't jive up in my head. 

Verdict:  The girls are going trick-or-treating this year.  I’m hardly equipped with the right answer to deal with this head-on.  So, here’s my compromise.  Instead of handing out sugar to trick-or-treaters this year and dealing with the leftovers, I’ve opted for healthy alternative treats.  I have bags of pretzels, small bins of Play-Doh, plastic spider rings, blood-shot freaky eye patches and so on (hey, at least it's not toothbrushes!).  Hopefully, a trend will start where 100% of the “treats” given out are not all sugar-based, artificially sweetened items ready to perpetuate the growing child obesity problem America is now facing. 

As far as my girlies go, I continue to educate them about nutrition and explain to them that they are ultimately responsible for how they treat their one and only body.

Happy Halloween!!