10 Ways to Have a Healthy Halloween

Healthy and Happy Halloween

Halloween is just days away! Let’s flashback to last year, the day after this fall holiday. Did you get carried away with the sweets? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.:)

After all, the candy was just sitting in your house… so you naturally had to test the chocolate-peanut butter combo from the ever-popular Reese’s. One innocent, little, fun-size candy bar led to two, which led to a few more. Before you knew it, you had lost count. What the heck, you had thought, I’ve already blown it, so why not keep on eating? By the end of the night, you had a terrible stomach ache from all of that sugar and a conscience that just won’t shut up.

Let’s not repeat this feeling of guilt this year and have a healthy Halloween.

Never fear – help is here! Try some of these tips to get you (and your little ones) focused and prevent you from overloading on the sugar. And yes, it’s totally fine to have a few pieces of candy – it is the holiday for sweets after all!

10 Ways to Have a Healthy and Happy Halloween 

Healthy Tips for You

• Drink water, sparkling water, green tea, herbal tea, and even coffee throughout the day. This will not only keep you hydrated but also fuller for longer periods of time. Don't forget to add a packet of electrolytes (we prefer LMNT) to keep you energized and hold off your hunger pangs.
• Eat three balanced meals. Each meal should have plenty of protein (wild-caught fish, organic chicken and turkey, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed/finished beef), some healthy fat (raw nuts and seeds, avocado, olive oil, virgin coconut oil), and colorful, fiber-rich veggies or organic berries. Lay off the sweets, added sugar, and artificial sweeteners. You won’t be craving all that chocolate come trick-or-treat time.
• Workout – Ladies, lift those weights!! If you want to improve your metabolism, become more insulin sensitive, and look and feel your best, weight training is the way to go. Aim to life weights at least 3 days per week and do some combination of sprint intervals, walking, and yoga on the other days of the week. This is the perfect combination for better health.
• Wait until the last minute to buy your Halloween candy. Yes, you might miss out on some of the screamin’ deals that your local store offers in the weeks leading up, but you won’t be tempted to sample the goods ahead of time, either.
• Buy candy you know you absolutely will not eat. It’s so much easier to stay away from the sweets if they’re not making your mouth water.
• How about healthier treats? Try mini bags of Popchips, mini Clif bars, Z bars, mini raisin boxes, cocoa-dusted almonds, fruit leathers, and mini dark chocolate bars (our fav!).
• Give away fun Halloween-themed toys instead of candy. Sure, it may seem kind of Bah Humbug-ish, but plenty of kids will love getting a mini slinky, vampire fangs, sticky eyeballs, and glow-in-the-dark spider rings. Check out Oriental Trading Co. or the local dollar store for some great ideas.

Now that we have got you covered to ensure a healthier and happier Halloween, it’s time to take the kids into consideration. We know ghosts and goblins can be pretty scary, but so can the large quantities of candy the kids bring home (or the leftovers you have after the doorbell stops ringing). What’s a health-conscious girl to do?

If you’re a mom, you want your kids to be able to enjoy the holiday with a few pieces of candy, but cringe at the idea of the sugar high that can last all Halloween night and for the days to come. Follow just three bits of advice to ensure a healthier night for the kids (and one they will still enjoy)!

Healthy Tips for the Kids

• Before the kids head out for the evening of trick-or-treating, make sure they have a healthy, well-balanced dinner that includes plenty of veggies, good shot of protein, and some healthy fat.
• Make some delicious, home-made fun Halloween treats that you can trade for some of your kids’ candy.
• Ahead of time, make a deal with your kids that they get to keep a few pieces of Halloween candy and will donate the rest. There are plenty of organizations that will collect your candy and send them overseas to our troops serving our country. Try donating them to your local church or temple, or to your local dentist, who may even offer a donation incentive of paying the kids for donating their candy. Money talks!

Here are some of our favorite bite-sized, better-for-you homemade treats for Halloween:

Paleo pumpkin spice chocolate chip doughnuts

7 ingredient cookie dough bites

Mini chocolate chip banana muffins

Chocolate pecan fudgey cookies

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Giant Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Happy almost Halloween!