Q: As a parent, monstrous amounts of trick-or-treat candy is a Halloween nightmare. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Think of Halloween as a great occasion to play dress up extraordinaire, and try to take a moderate stand on the candy. Preference for sweet foods is not a human failing – it’s simply human nature. Candy is fine in moderation, and kids and adults love it. However, it’s difficult to eat anything in moderation in our society!

Halloween candy usually hits grocery store shelves two months prior to the event, and it’s hard to resist the tempting shiny packages of bite-sized treats. Candy is mostly sugar and fat, so we have to realize that it contributes calories with few nutrients. It’s a far cry from a health food, but it is a part of the holiday.

Here are some suggestions for managing a happy and healthy Halloween:

¢ Wait and buy candy later rather than sooner. We won’t eat what we don’t bring home.

¢ Feed kids a healthy meal before they go out trick-or-treating so they won’t replace dinner with their bag of goodies. Or host a pre-trick or treat Halloween dinner with spooky background music. Hand out a printed menu with gory descriptions of kids’ favorite foods. For example, spaghetti and marinara sauce with shredded cheese becomes “blood and guts.” Kids really love the idea of eating “gross” food on Halloween, but parents know they are eating a healthful dinner, regardless of its name. Nutrient-rich cranberry juice mixed with apple cider and orange juice can become “murky blood.”

¢ Make trick or treating a family activity. Walk with your children as they go door to door. This provides good exercise for both parents and children. This also gives parents a chance to limit the amount of candy that children consume as they go.

¢ Limit the houses that children visit. Give them a two-to three-block radius, so they are able to gather a moderate number of treats only from known neighbors and friends.

¢ Sort through the candy and allow each child to choose a set number of items they may eat, and put the rest up for later.

¢ Divide the remaining treats into weekly amounts and freeze so that portion control is easier.

¢ Help kids balance treats with regular activity.

¢ Allow the child an option of keeping part of the candy and trading them coins or something they have been wanting in exchange for the rest.

¢ Avoid using candy to reward good behavior because it can increase a child’s preference for sweet foods.

¢ Remember that children watch and imitate the adults in their lives. Be a good role model by making healthy choices yourself. Limit your own intake of Halloween goodies, and choose healthy alternatives. When you model good habits, your children will be more likely to make healthy choices.

¢ And, as always, make sure children brush their teeth well before going to bed.

If you’re interested in “treating” with some healthier options, here are a few ideas to consider:

¢ Cheese and cracker packages

¢ Sugar-free gum

¢ Juice box packages

¢ Small packages of nuts

¢ Small boxes of raisins or other dried fruit

¢ Package of instant cocoa mix

¢ Peanuts in the shell

¢ Bags of pretzels

¢ Snack-size microwave popcorn, preferably low in fat

¢ Individually wrapped sticks of beef jerky

¢ Low fat granola bars

¢ Individual bags of graham cracker snacks

¢ Cups of canned, diced fruit or pudding

You could also consider giving some non-food treats such as:

¢ Coins, such as dimes or quarters

¢ Stickers

¢ Crayons

¢ Fun pencils

¢ Colored chalk

¢ Erasers

¢ Whistles

¢ Trading or baseball cards

¢ Miniature plastic animals

¢ Rubber spiders, snakes, or worms

¢ Rings or bracelets

¢ Miniature toys or cars

¢ Bookmarks

¢ Small tubes of toothpaste

Parties are another solution. Today, many parents hold Halloween parties for their children instead of sending them out trick or treating. Some nutritious treats to serve at these parties are plain or cheese-coated popcorn, apples, grapes, bananas and other fresh fruit, unshelled peanuts and a “witch’s brew’ made with orange juice, lemonade and apple cider.

For a more substantial snack that children can help prepare, consider “scary pizza faces.” Let your partygoers create their own faces by arranging sliced olives, green peppers, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, and other ingredients on English muffins that have been brushed with tomato sauce. Add a little grated cheese for “hair” and pop in the oven or microwave for a treat that’s as good to eat as it is fun to make.

Also, remember these safety considerations. Allow children to trick-or-treat only at the homes of neighbors or friends that you know and who wish to provide treats. Check all treats before allowing children to consume any of them. Only allow the children to eat treats that are individually wrapped and sealed. Discard anything that appears to have been opened or tampered with. Do not allow children to eat any “homemade” treats such as cookies or popcorn balls unless you know who made them and trust that person completely.

Young children can choke on certain foods. Children younger than 3 or 4 should not eat small, hard foods such as nuts, seeds, popcorn, snack chips, pretzels, raw carrots, snack puffs, raisins or slippery foods such as whole grapes or hot dogs. Certain non-food treats (popped balloons, small erasers, gum, etc.) are not recommended for very young children (3 or 4 years or younger).

Choose costumes with safety in mind. Avoid long costumes that drag the ground and might cause the child to trip and fall. Try using make-up or face paint instead of masks that might block vision. And be sure to carry a flashlight.