Halloween (candy) is coming…are you scared?

I LOVE Halloween. Dressing up, taking the kids trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, watching scary movies, all of it. What I don’t love is the idea of tons of candy coming into our home.

Here are a few things I do each year to help us navigate the treats because we want to be able to indulge without overdoing it.

1. Eat smart before trick-or-treating or bringing out the candy
   Planning a quick dinner that has clean sources of protein, fiber and fat before you start eating. This is because carbs should never be eaten naked. A trick that I learned from the Glucose Goddess. We need protein, fiber and fat to hit our intestines first, before the starches. This slows down the rate which glucose enters our bloodstream, therefore flattening our glucose spike.
   
   A hearty veggie soup with beans or lentils or a chicken and veggie soup with some sliced avocado is something you can make ahead of time and just heat up. And the kids should gobble it up. Or, if it’s just you adults, eat a small salad followed by your choice of cooked protein and cooked veggies with healthy olive oil drizzled over everything and fresh herbs. Save the starch for your candy, should you choose to indulge.

2. Choose what candy YOU are going to eat ahead of time
   Go in knowing what your own personal indulgence is going to be. I personally love Snickers, M&Ms and Twix. Okay, I also love Reeces Peanut Butter Cups. So, I set aside my 3-4 kid-sized pieces that I am going to have that night with my glass of wine, if I’m being honest. And that’s it. I enjoy and relish every single bite. I eat it slowly. And I feel really good about treating myself.
   
   One more trick, no pun intended. Drink 8oz of water with a Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before you hit the treats. This plus the protein and veggie-loaded meal will keep your blood sugar spike lower. And lower glucose spikes mean lower insulin, our fat-storing hormone.

3. Let your kiddos eat what they want until a certain time
   I have found with my kids in particular that we need boundaries that appear like freedom. So, we let them eat as much candy as they want (this year I’ll really be checking out the candy first before they eat it) until around 8:30. We already know it’s going to be a late night in our household, but if they can stop eating the sugar a couple of hours before bed and hydrate while watching a movie, that feels like a small win.
   
   Your house may be very different. Setting an end-time of 7pm may work better for you. My kids are extremely strong-willed but this seems to work for us. They are kind of done anyway by then and whenever we’ve tried to limit the intake, it has completely backfired. They go through the rest of the week limited to two pieces a day after a healthy meal, then they seem to forget about it. This gives me time to slowly throw the candy away without anyone noticing. Yes, I’m being honest again.
   
   Let me know what works for you, I’d love to know!