Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

Unofficially, I regard Halloween as the start of the holiday eating season.  Many of clients tell me this is when their struggle with holiday food starts, and it remains a struggle right on through the end of the year.

If you are the type of person who eats candy because “it’s there”  resist the urge to stock up on your Halloween candy supply ahead of time.  Don’t purchase the stuff until you actually need it for the big day.  If it’s not there, then you won’t eat it!

After the Halloween candy has been distributed to the trick or treaters, there’s always the challenge of what to do with the leftover candy.  Before I became self-employed, well meaning co-workers usually brought leftover Halloween candy to share with everyone in the office.  This did not help those of us who were trying to avoid it much as possible.  In fact, a number of my clients cite their place of work as the worst environment for eating foods (candy, etc.) they would not normally eat.   So, you may want to refrain from unloading the leftovers at work; some of your co-workers may really appreciate that!

One of the simplest solutions for not having Halloween leftovers is to buy only the amount you need for your Halloween visitors.  This can be difficult to predict, but if you have a general idea of how many visitors you have, stick to what you think you will need.  I used to worry about running out of candy before the evening was over, but I found the perfect solution, that really keeps most kids happy.  I keep a roll of quarters on hand, and once I’m out of Halloween stock, the latecomers get a couple of quarters instead of the candy.  The kids are somewhat surprised by this, but, they really like getting the money!

The last solution for keeping out of the candy jar is to buy treats for your Halloween visitors, and not things that you really like yourself.  Perhaps having a bag of “fun size chocolate bars”, is going to be hard to resist.  On the other hand, if you purchase something kids like, but you don’t really care for, you are more likely to leave it alone.

If all else fails and you find yourself really craving some Halloween candy, go ahead and enjoy a little!  Make sure it’s something you really like, as there is little satisfaction in eating something that is mediocre.  Happy Halloween!

Tags: Halloween