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Enjoy Halloween, but keep sweets
in check
Nutrition Q&A with Cara
Zaller
Halloween can be a difficult time for parents who limit sweets
during the rest of the year. Cara Zaller offers tips to keep
a healthy balance on Halloween.
Q: How can parents approach Halloween with health in mind?
A: A typical child trick-or-treating on Halloween collects between
5 to 10 pounds of candy. If your child ate all of that candy,
it would take your child 50 to 100 hours of moderate exercise
to burn off all of the calories. Here are some tips to limit
the candy your children will eat during the Halloween season
while still allowing them to enjoy the holiday.
EAT BEFORE. Feed your child a healthy dinner before he or
she goes trick-or-treating, and let him or her choose a few
(two to three) pieces of candy after he or she trick-or-treats
as a special Halloween dessert.
TRADE IT IN. Let your child choose a few of his or her favorite
candies, and then offer him or her a new toy or video game
(or something else they have been asking for) in exchange for
the remaining candy. After you have all of the candy, throw
it out, bring it to work or otherwise discard it.
BUY IT BACK. Offer money in exchange for
your child's candy. Have your child lay out his or her candy
like a candy store, and then you and your spouse can go shopping
until it is all gone. Be sure to discard it as recommended
in tip No. 2 once it is in your possession.
BE LENIENT. Allow your child to have one piece of candy for
lunch or dinner for a week following Halloween. At the end
of that week, discard the remaining candy, as noted above.
BE A ROLE MODEL. As a parent, you should
eat candy in moderation, abstain from eating candy altogether
or make healthier snack/dessert choices. Kids often adopt
their parents' habits.
EDUCATE. Teach your child that eating candy
on a regular basis is not healthy. Processed sugar from candy
is not your child's
preferred source of energy and does not allow your child's
body to function properly. Your child needs the right source
of foods and nutrients so that he or she can learn in school,
grow strong and prevent and fight illnesses. Candy should
be a very limited part of a child's diet.
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES. Instead of giving trick-or-treaters
candy, hand out non-food treats, such as stickers, temporary
tattoos, bubbles or small games. This will prevent you from
having all of that extra candy after all the trick-or-treaters
have come and gone.
Enjoy a healthy Halloween!
Always check with your physician before starting any exercise
regimen or change in diet.
 About Cara L. Zaller
Cara L. Zaller is a CA team member, certified nutrition consultant,
group fitness instructor and personal trainer. For the past
seven years, she has been coaching clients to improve their
health through exercise, diet and lifestyle modifications.
She has also worked with private schools to help them improve
their choices of food for snack time, enhancing children's
ability to learn and behave better during the school day,
as well as eat nutritional snacks.
Cara earned an MBA from
The George Washington University and a BA from Emory University.
She is certified through the American Fitness Professionals & Associates,
as well as through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of
America. Additionally, she has been in the fitness industry
for more than 20 years and has competed in both aerobics
and figure competitions. During the past two years, she has
competed in many triathlons.
Have a question for a fitness professional?
E-mail your fitness questions to CAmonthly@ColumbiaAssociation.com.
Please include your full name, village of residence, phone
number and e-mail.
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