Curb Your Kids’ Candy Binge
Oct
27Posted in [General Health] By LifewayD1
10/27/2009 9:01 PM
In just three days, your kitchen table is going to be smothered in miniature bags of M&M’s, 100 Grand Bars and endless streams of candy corn. Your children will likely be bouncing off the walls, their eyes glazed over like butterscotch disks as they stare at the mounds of candy they’ve amassed after a night of successful Trick or Treating.
We’re not going to be sticks-in-the-mud and suggest you confiscate their glucose-y goods, or advocate handing out pencils or apples instead of Reese’s (we love chocolate-and-PB as much as the next kefir company!) But how about a few ideas* for helping your family get a handle on all the sugar? To mix metaphors, all good things come in moderation!
Carve a pumpkin. They don’t need to know it’s Vitamin A-rich squash. To them, it’s just a super-fun activity that they only get to do once a year. Let them scoop out the insides and rinse the seeds well in a colander, then toss them with a small bit of olive oil, spread them on a Pammed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 400 until golden brown. Check out the health benefits of pumpkin seeds here. Make a trade.Allow your kids to swap candy for a special toy, game or family movie night.
Share the wealth. Ask your kids to set aside 20 pieces of candy each and bring it, as a family, to a local homeless shelter. They’ll be helping kids who can’t afford costumes or don’t have access to trick-or-treating to enjoy the Halloween experience. Also, many local businesses and national organizations collect donated candy and send it to our troops.
Grab a few pieces for yourself. C’mon – a mom’s gotta snack!
Do you have other creative suggestions for curbing the candy binge?
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