Halloween Tricks or Treats

By: Callen, H3 Program Intern

Halloween can be a time of tricks or treats, when it comes to making healthy decisions. Candy and snacks of all sorts seem to litter the office space and home during this time of the year.  How are you going to prepare yourself and your family for this time of year but still enjoy a few of your favorite tricks and treats? 

Here are a few tips & ideas to make this time of year a “treat” and not a bag full of puzzling tricks:

Decide before you step in the door to say “no”.  Many offices, homes and cubicles will have a bowl or bag of candy inviting you to indulge.  Making a strong decision beforehand always seems to add some “bang” behind that willpower.

Keep someone else “in the know”.  Let a supportive friend, spouse or co-worker know that Halloween can be a time of trickery for you.  Tell them a few decisions you have made for the holiday. Verbalizing decisions is a helpful tactic to avoid messy slip-ups.

Have a tasty snack that makes you feel involved with the Halloween Festivities.  So that you don’t feel left out on the Halloween “spirit”, grab an alternative “treat”. Here are a few treat ideas that will be sure to not trick you:

Apple Cinnamon Chocolate Treat
Grab a sandwich baggie and break up 2 apple cinnamon rice cakes and add a chopped up Fun-size Hershey’s Chocolate Bar for only 162 calories.

Jello Fat-free Chocolate Pudding cup
102 calories

H3’s Pumpkin Pie (1/8) – 155 calories

*Make a comment: Do you know of some other great low-calorie Halloween treats?

Remember to not feel guilty.   If you have a piece or serving of candy, enjoy it! Yes, that is right, enjoy it!  BUT keep in mind how many servings are in that “small” candy bag and how many calories it contains. Also, remember that candy will be around for a long time; therefore, don’t eat it like its going “out of style”.

Keep track.  Have your handy food journal to keep track of your Halloween candy consumption.  See the calorie content behind a few common Halloween candies and treats:

25 small jellybeans:  140 calories

20 pieces of candy corn:  100 calories

2 Brachs caramels:  80 calories

1 Hershey’s Kiss:  25 calories

1 Mini Tootsie Roll:  25 calories

1 Fun Size candy bar (Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfingers, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, etc.):  80 calories

1 mini bite-size candy bar (Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfingers, etc.):  55 calories

1 Fun Size M&M packet – Plain or Peanut:  90 calories

1 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup:  33 calories

1 Full Size Hershey’s Chocolate Bar:  210 calories

1 Full Size Snicker’s Bar:  271 calories

1 King Size Butterfinger Bar:  480 calories

Apple Cider (Starbucks® Grande):  240 calories

1 Piece (1/8 of 9-in pie) Pumpkin Pie:  180 calories

*Check out caloriecount.about.com to find the caloric content of other favorite candy.

Remember the day isn’t over until your head hits the pillow.  If the first part of your day seemed to be full of trickery (maybe you had your fair share of candy and snacks), don’t give up! You still have the rest of the day to make wise decisions.  As Bob Wright puts it “Think of you days in halves.” So the first half was a major slip up, make the second half out-shine the first!

Keep yourself occupied with activities rather than food.  Sometimes we eat several hundreds of calories because we are bored. During Halloween, there are many activities you could partake in to keep your mind and body occupied!

-  Carve or paint a pumpkin

-  Rake leaves

-  Walk with the kids (or your neighborhood kids) when they “Trick or Treat”

-  Volunteer your time at a local school’s Halloween Festivities

-  Make a scare-crow (or other Halloween decoration)

-  Take a hay-ride

-  Apple Picking

Make a comment: What are you favorite Halloween activities that keep you busy?

 

 Have no fear this Halloween, take courage, you can master this time of tricks with your own healthy tactics.  Hopefully by following these helpful hints your Halloween will be a treat for you this year and not a bag full of tricks!

 

*Caloric content for the above candy was adapted from http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blhalloweencalories.htm

www.caloriecounter.about.com