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
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!!
