Oct 24, 2007 / by admin

healthy halloweening: 10 tips to avoid gaining 10 pounds

Candycorn

With a holiday that has a primary tradition of going door-to-door asking for candy, the health-conscious person cringes at the impending diet disaster. See below for ten tips on staying at least semi-healthy on Halloween.

Don’t buy candy until the last minute. This way, you won’t break into your stash and eat it before the holiday.
Buy lowfat candy like: candy corn, licorice, gummy stuff, sweet tarts, gum, lollipops. Another option is buying candy you don’t like for your trick-or-treaters so that you aren’t tempted to endulge.
Avoid candy altogether by passing out healthy alternatives (e.g. snack-sized pretzels, small packs of nuts, individually-wrapped rice krispie treats, fruit snacks), or going for a non-edible item like stickers, silly putty, pencils, temporary tattoos, etc.
Walk, walk, dance! Halloween is a great time to visit your neighbors, attend parades and go dancing! Enjoy all of the activities lined up for the holiday to burn some extra calories while having tons-o-fun!
Don’t completely deny yourself! If you really want that mini Snickers, go for it! Just don’t eat three of them. Sating our cravings is important because otherwise, you eat more of what you don’t want to try and satisfy yourself, then usually end up succumbing to the original craving anyway.
If you attend a party, don’t make the eating the main part of your agenda. Stay away from the snack table. There’s so much more to Halloween besides the edibles! Concentrate instead on the costumes, games, dancing and socializing.
Prepare for the holiday by being healthy beforehand. Don’t start in on the snacking the week prior. Stick with your normal diet and exercise routine and only splurge on the day-of.
Don’t keep around all the candy afterwards! Give it away by including a few pieces with Halloween cards or make a small gift dish filled with candy and send out to friends and coworkers.
Host a Halloween party! That way, you’re in control of the menu and activities. Plus, you’ll be so busy running around hosting, you won’t eat out of boredom.
Stay hydrated! This is always applicable to staying healthy and controlling cravings. Many times when you feel hungry, in reality, you’re simply thirsty.