Ahhhhh! High fructose corn syrup! Artificial dyes! Unpronounceable chemicals! Extruded rice crispy treats! Ahhhhh!
When I was a kid, the big scare was razorblades in apples. Now, conscious-minded parents everywhere are terrorized by the everyday poisons of process sugars and other nastiness found in their child’s trick or treat bucket. Well, I’m here to say, “BOO!”
Here’s 4 reasons to let your kids eat junk this Halloween:
- Balance is part of healthy living - For those of us parents a bit obsessed with healthy living (and rightfully so), Halloween provides an opportunity to exercise balance – and to not drive your child to become a snickers hoarding freak with a secret stash of candy under his bed.
- Experience is the best teacher - Junior will soon find out that stuffing his face with candy may feel good for the soul, but not so much for the body. Resist the urge to say, “I told you so” for best results.
- You have a trade in plan - Last year, when our son was too little to notice, we let him eat his loot while trick-or-treating, and then dumped the rest in the trash when we got home. This year our trick-or-treater gets to eat as much candy as he wants on Halloween, but for every piece left over the next day, he gets a 10 cent credit toward a toy of his choosing. Find a plan that is appropriate for your kid. If your child has health issues that prevent him/her from consuming particular foods (or non-foods as the case may be), a straight trade-in plan may be your best bet for enjoying the festivities.
- You serve nourishing food all year round - When your family eats healthy Real Food at nearly every meal, the occasional celebratory junk is not likely to ruin anyone’s health. Make sure your kids eat their fill of a wholesome meal before indulging in sugary debauchery. If you don’t regularly fill your plates with Real Food, here’s how to start.
Happy Halloween!
This post is part of Healthy Home Economist’s Monday Mania blog carnival.
I totally agree! While I cringe when my kids trick or treat, it is a good opportunity to teach balance. Shielding them from every possible thing that is unhealthy that they can put in their mouth will backfire when their hormones flair during puberty. Eventually they will be making their own health decisions so letting them take the reins every now and then and being there to help them think through the process is very important.
Okay, I LOVE this! I don’t have kids yet, but future mommyhood is on my mind as it’s only a couple years down the road for us. As Halloween approached this year, I couldn’t help but thinking — “Crap! What am I gonna do with our kids one day when they’re forced to be the only freaks at school not allowed to eat Halloween candy??”
But you know what — I’m not gonna do that. For every reason you just listed! I especially love the incentive to trade in candy for toy money — but as an option, not a requirement. I like the way you think!
I’m the black sheep.