University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis.--The idea of children eating enormous amounts of trick-or-treat candy doesn't have to scare parents at Halloween. Adults can create Halloween traditions that don't rely on highly sugared foods. "Children caught up in the excitement of other Halloween activities are less likely to be focused on the candy," says Susan Nitzke, UW-Madison/Extension nutrition specialist.

According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, as reported in the Family Economics and Nutrition Review, kids are eating far more sugar than they should--on average they consume 21 to 23 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Most of this extra sugar comes from carbonated sodas, fruit drinks, candy, and baked goods like cakes and cookies. Because many children in the U.S. are also getting very little physical exercise and spend several hours each day watching television or a computer screen, it is no wonder that many of them are at risk for diseases associated with obesity.

This Halloween, when children dressed as monsters, superheroes and princesses come to your door, surprise them with something besides candy. In a recent study conducted in Connecticut, trick-or-treaters between three and 14 years old were just as likely to choose toys as candy when offered both on Halloween. The implication of this study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, is that children will not be disappointed when they receive toy treats.

Nitzke offers these suggestions for activities and non-food treats, as well as more nutritious treats:

• Plan activities that focus on Halloween fun, not sugary treats. Make Jack-O-Lanterns out of real pumpkins or various types of craft materials. Construct a scary "grave yard" on the lawn, host a monster make-up party, or lead a neighborhood scavenger hunt.

• Shop for healthy treats for children who come to your door. Nitzke recommends small bags of pretzels, mini-boxes of raisins, sugar-free gum, individual juice boxes, or individually wrapped packages of pumpkin seeds.

• Give non-food treats such as stickers, pencils and wash-off tattoos. Keep in mind that some treats present a choking hazard to toddlers — for young children, avoid hard or semi-soft candy the size of a grape that could get stuck in the throat, and toys such as balloons and small whistles. Other non-food ideas include:

  1. Halloween theme pencils, crayons or erasers

  2. Halloween theme magnets or stickers

  3. Temporary tattoos

  4. Creepy, crawly rubbery worms, spiders or Halloween figures

  5. Orange colored or pumpkin shaped note pads

  6. All kinds of balls -- beach balls, little bouncy balls that light up when they bounce, soft and spongy footballs, etc.

  7. Bubbles and bubble wands

• Keep trick-or-treat outings short to cut down on the amount of candy children bring home. This is a lot easier to do when children know that other activities are planned for the evening.

• Encourage children to sort through their bags of candy and be selective about which pieces to keep. This gives parents the opportunity to examine the treats and toss any with loose wrappings or other suspicious items. Excess candy can be stashed in the freezer for later. The inconvenience of waiting for it to thaw will reduce its appeal for some children. "If you're lucky, they may even forget it's there," says Nitzke.

• Let children select one or two treats Halloween night, then store the rest out of sight. "It's okay to give kids a couple of treats each day in lunches or after school," says Nitzke. "But avoid using candy to reward good behavior because that may encourage a child's preference for sweets."