Halloween is a favorite night for many kids. It’s full of magic, from Halloween parties and school parades in costume to after-dark escapades around dark, decorated neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. It’s exciting to see how much of their favorite types of candy they can collect, but what happens to the buckets and mountains of candy when the evening is over?
A few treats are fine, especially when they come after months of anticipation and the feeling of “earning” them by trick-or-treating. What’s not okay is an excessive amount of candy for too long, leading to risk for weight gain, sugar highs and lows, tooth decay, and displacement of more nutritious foods. Here’s a take on how much Halloween candy is okay, and what you can do with the rest without experiencing World War III against the children in your household.
Why Set Limits on Candy Consumption?
On the whole, candy is high in sugar, and low in nutrients. It may also be high in calories and saturated fat. Sugar consumption is linked to higher risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high triglycerides and a risk for heart disease. Tooth decay is another problem linked to candy consumption.
It’s not just that candy has sugar and possibly unhealthy fats. In addition, when kids eat candy for snacks, they may be displacing healthier snacks like these.
- Fresh or dried fruit, which has fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
- Nuts or peanut butter, with healthy fats, fiber, and protein
- Popcorn or rice cakes, with whole grains
- Yogurt or string cheese, with calcium and protein
They can even fill up on candy before meals, making them less likely to eat their vegetables and lean proteins like chicken.
How Much Candy Is Okay for Kids?
It’s fun to gather buckets or piles of candy on Halloween night, but it’s best to shift your mindset when it comes to actually consuming candy. Your children, and maybe even you, may have had more candy on Halloween Eve than you care to admit, but it’s time to face reality on November 1.
A portion of about 80 to 150 calories may be a reasonable amount of candy for a day. That’s assuming the rest of the day relies on healthy foods like vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and fruit.
Here’s what 80-100 calories looks like in terms of candy.
- A fun-size chocolate bar like Snickers, Milky Way, Kit Kat, or Twix
- A fun-size package of Skittles or M&Ms
Here’s what 120-150 calories looks like in terms of candy.
- 2 Reese’s peanut butter cups
- A fun-size 1000 Grand or Baby Ruth
- A small bag of Starbursts
- 5 mallow pumpkins
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests keeping adding sugars to no more than 25 grams a day. That’s about the amount in 3 fun-sized 3-Musketeers bars.
Here are some tips for healthier patterns for candy consumption.
- Sit down and enjoy it together.
- Encourage a mindful experience by talking about the flavors and textures of the candy.
- Let your children choose the one they want to enjoy.
- If they want two different candies, let them have half of each instead of making them choose just one or letting them have all of both.
- Drink some water with the candy, or serve some fruit or yogurt to reduce blood sugar spikes and make it more filling.
Both kids and adults can benefit from storing candy out of sight and out of reach. It’s easier to avoid impulse eating.
Whatever amount you decide on, present it to your children as fact. It’s non-negotiable.
What to Do with Extra Candy
It can feel sad to give away Halloween candy. It may feel personal when your kids have “hand-gathered” it from neighbors and friends. It may also feel like you’re saying goodbye for another year to a fun holiday. But be assured that your candy can go to good purposes.
Donate Extra Candy
Most schools collect leftover candy for a few days or a week after Halloween. They may pass it on to schools in needier neighborhoods, or they may partner with local food banks or charities. You can also donate it directly to food banks, charities for veterans or current active troops, community centers, nursing homes, or charities.
Create a Buyback Program
Some cities host “buyback” programs in which they give money in exchange for owners to give up their illegal firearms or fireworks. Consider turning Halloween into an educational experience with an arithmetic lesson.
Attach a certain value to each type of candy, say, 5 cents for a hard candy or gum ball, 25 cents for a fun-sized chocolate bar, or 50 cents for a full-size bag of M&Ms. Spend time with your children taking inventory of each piece of candy and how much it’s worth. Then add up the total value, give your children that much money, and collect the candy they just “sold” to you.
Use It Wisely at Home
There are all kinds of fun ways to use candy at home. Keep it in a designated treat jar for special occasions or treats. Use it for crafts like decorating a gingerbread house for the holidays. Bake it into treats like cookies or brownies, or make snack mixes with ingredients like pretzels, cereal, and popcorn.
Caution: Keeping candy at home, no matter how good your intentions are for yourself and your children, is risky. It can lead to children begging for more candy that you’ve already said “no” to. It can also lead to you eating more candy than you’d intended.
Real Life: Getting Your Kids to Buy In
For many parents, the real struggle isn’t in setting the rules (e.g., how much candy). It’s in how to enforce them and how much energy they’re willing to invest. Here are some tips for making the struggle less of a struggle.
Acknowledge your children’s perspective. They worked hard for their candy (at least, harder than they usually do for their food, which generally shows up fully prepared on their plate at the table). Also let them know that you understand how good candy tastes, how fun Halloween is, and how special the occasion is.
Give your children choices. They can choose which special pieces to choose. Some parents like to let them choose when to eat the 5-10 pieces of candy that kids are allowed. It can make children feel like they’re getting away with something naughty to get to eat 3 pieces of candy before breakfast. Also let them help choose what to do with the rest, such as where to donate it to and whether they want to help deliver it.
Stick to the rules you decide on. Kids love rules. They like struggling against them, and they like the security that comes from knowing the rules their parents created won’t change. It’s comforting.
How do you decide how much candy your kids can have? What do you do with the rest, and how do you handle your children’s reactions?
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