Easy Ways to Have a Healthy and Safe Halloween

In this article:

• The days before Halloween and Halloween itself can include a lot of sugary candy and other high-calorie foods.
• You can stay on track with your healthy lifestyle by planning ahead. Having a small treat, making smart food swaps, and finding ways to celebrate and participate in ways that don’t involve eating can all help.
• Lark can help you lose weight as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.
  

With Halloween coming up, it’s time to put together your healthy plan. You can enjoy a piece or two of your favorite candy, or maybe a cookie decorated like a pumpkin without going overboard. With some planning ahead and smart strategies, you can have a fun Halloween that’s healthy and safe, too.

Before Halloween: Eat Smart!

For a week or more before Halloween, there may be candy everywhere you turn. You don’t have to eat it! Some options include walking past it without slowing down, going a different route so you don’t see it, and saying “No, thank you” if someone offers it.

If the craving for candy gets very strong, consider a healthier or lower-calorie alternative that can satisfy your craving without doing much damage. A square of dark chocolate, for example, has antioxidants and fiber. You might also consider a peppermint or other type of hard candy to suck on for a sweet taste without much sugar. Consider opting for sugar-free hard candy to protect your teeth.

Trick-or-Treating

Many children and adults look forward to trick-or-treating or handing out candy. There may be a temptation to eat a lot of candy, but you can take steps to limit your intake.

Keeping Candy Consumption Low While Trick-or-Treating

If you’re trick-or-treating, it’s a good idea to save a favorite piece to eat later and enjoy. Instead of digging through the bag of candy while you’re out and about, focus first of all on safety for yourself and those around you. You can also focus on enjoying the Halloween decorations at each house, or be the photographer for your group to take your mind off of the candy.

Tips While Handing Out Candy

It can be tough to avoid eating candy if you have large bags of it at home. If you’re waiting for trick-or-treaters, consider passing out something aside from candy. Inexpensive Halloween items that children tend to love include stickers, pencils, erasers, plastic rings with a spider or pumpkin on them, and bouncy balls, to name a few.

If you have bags of candy for trick-or-treaters, try to focus on something else while waiting for people to knock on your door. Go about your usual evening business and eat a healthy dinner, a to-do list for the next day, or get in the spirit of Halloween by watching a spooky movie. Also, have a plan for what to do with the leftover candy at the end of the night without eating it.

Healthy Tips for Halloween Parties

Halloween parties are a great way to celebrate, especially if you’re not trick-or-treating. Pizza, pasta, chili, and wings are just a few common party foods, with candy and decorated cupcakes and cookies being other likely Halloween treats.

You can still enjoy festive treats, but why not make them a little healthier? The American Heart Association, or AMA, says it’s possible. Here are a few ideas for easy, fun treats that are nutritious, too.

• Bloody brains with roast cauliflower and marinara sauce
• Spooky eyeballs with olive slices on meatballs or hard-boiled egg slices, served on whole-grain spaghetti
• Ghosts with string cheese or bananas and chocolate chips or raisins for eyes
• Halloween jaws with apples
• Halloween spiders with hard-boiled egg halves, yolk side down, and pretzel sticks for legs
• Tangerine pumpkins with cinnamon sticks or celery for the stem
  

Halloween Safety

A spooky Halloween can turn downright scary if safety precautions are not followed. Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

• Keep costumes safe by making sure they have eye holes for visibility, as well as reflectors.
• Trick-or-treat as a group, and don’t approach houses alone or without an adult present.
• Carry glow sticks and flashlights so cars can see you.

Stay on sidewalks as much as possible, and take the time to gather together and look carefully before crossing the street.

Healthy Behaviors Are the Way to Go!

According to the CDC, the same healthy behaviors that work for you every other day (and night) are good ideas for Halloween too. Here are some additional healthy tips for Halloween.

• Choose filling, nutritious foods to satisfy hunger.
• Go to bed on time instead of staying up late so you can be more energetic the next day and have fewer cravings for leftover Halloween candy.
• Limit or avoid alcohol, especially close to bedtime, to reduce the risk of accidents, improve sleep quality, and keep calorie consumption lower.
• Avoid smoke, such as when people may be smoking in enclosed spaces at a party.
• Wash or sanitize your hands before eating.

How Lark Can Help

Halloween can be super fun, and it doesn’t have to be super scary. You can choose healthier options, get rid of leftovers, and get ready for the holiday season, and Lark can help. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 as you log and track food and physical activity, work towards your weight loss goals, and get personalized health coaching.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

‍