Don't Spook Kids By Giving Non-Nutritious Candy This Halloween!
Hand Out Fun, Glow-in-the-Dark Objects, Stickers, Other Party Favors Instead
By Connie Bennett
www.SugarShockBlog.com
Adults, don't fall into the candy-giving trap this Halloween when those adorable, costume-clad kids ring your doorbell. Handing out those traditional blood-sugar bouncing "treats" is a "tricky" proposition. All that candy could send your neighbor's kids into SUGAR SHOCK!-which means you could contribute to their getting all kinds of health and emotional problems.
You certainly don't want to do anything that could help make these innocent children become angry, moody, depressed, tired, wired, sleepless, unfocused, or fat from those sugary foods, right?
This Halloween, choose fun alternatives instead. There's no limit to the options. You could give out all kinds of fun, age-appropriate doodads and gizmos, such as:
Glow-in-the-dark insects, spooky fingers and other objects
Halloween-themed stickers, pencils, temporary tattoos, or other toys
Holiday chalk, crayons, colored pencils, pens or animal-shaped erasers
Rubber worms, spiders, or other creepy figures
Non-Halloween-themed party favors such as hair clips, hair bands, scrunchies, plastic bracelets and rings (for girls).
Party favors such as engine whistles, key chains, pens, and stickers. (For boys or girls).
Rest assured, too: Kids will like your creative Halloween-giving ideas. In fact, researchers found that these non-candy favors can be a big hit.
One study from Yale University revealed that half of the 284 trick-or-treaters aged 3 to 14 didn't want lollipops, fruit-flavored chews, or hard candies. Yeah, instead they preferred such toys as glow-in-the-dark insects, stretch pumpkin men, or Halloween-themed stickers and pencils.
If you still insist on giving out food, try giving trick-or-treaters small, pre-packaged:
Almonds or walnuts (Stay away from peanuts since some children are allergic to them.)
Shelled sunflower seeds or pistachios
Raisins (Although these are high in natural sugar, they're far preferable to candy.)
Bottled water (Yeah, kids will be thirsty from all that trick-or-treating door to door!)
So this Halloween, forego those nutrient-lacking candies. Decide to do something nice for your neighborhood's kids and instead give out something fun or at least more healthy.
Connie Bennett is an experienced journalist (Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, cbs.com, etc.) and former, dedicated "sugar addict," who reluctantly quit sugar and refined carbs on doctor's orders in 1998. She now laughingly pokes fun of herself as a "Scary Sugar Shrew No More!" - see her fun cartoons at
/www.sugarshock.com/cartoons.shtml
. These days, Connie is regarded as a sought-after "Savvy Sugar Sleuth," who playfully and seriously educates people about the dangers of sugar and culprit carbs, which could include mood swings, depression, anger, "brain fog," and, of course, weight gain, and she helps "sugar sufferers" to break free from their dangerous habit. Connie is author of the engaging, engrossing book SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books, Dec. 26, 2006); founder of an international KickSugar support group; founder of the award-winning SUGAR SHOCK! Blog (
www.SugarShockBlog.com
); a featured contributor to eDiets.com; a certified holistic health counselor; and a popular speaker. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com
