Healthy Tricks to Manage Halloween Treats

Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy every year for Halloween alone.

All of the extra candy means lots of extra calories and invitations to indulge in sugar throughout the month. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you have additional reasons to be careful about how much candy you eat. One strategy to decrease temptation (and consumption) is to remove these sugary treats from your home by donating leftover candy.

The following organizations provide opportunities to express your thanks by sending goodies (as well as notes and amenities) to our service men and women.

Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude sends care packages to U.S. troops stationed overseas and first responders stateside. The organization’s mission is simple--to put a smile on soldiers’ faces. Kids are encouraged to include letters and pictures, too. Check out the organization’s map for drop-off locations.

Soldiers’ Angels

Soldier's Angels organizes Treats for Troops annually. Visit the website to find a donation drop-off point, or register to start a drive of your own.

Operation Shoebox and Any Soldier

These two organizations also collect and send care packages to troops overseas. Operation Shoebox accepts individually wrapped candies all year long. Meanwhile, Any Soldier allows you to decide which branch of the armed forces you’d like to support.

There are many other local foodbanks and churches who accept pre-wrapped treats for distribution. A simple web search will help you find one near you.

Here are some other strategies to reduce your sweet temptations this Halloween season:

Out of sight, out of mind

Try keeping your favorite fruits and veggies in sight and put the candy somewhere you have to dig for it.

Trade treats for treasures

Reward yourself, or your children, with healthy alternatives. For example: Five candies will buy you a small toy or sports cards. Twenty-five candies will get you a bucket of balls at the driving range. One hundred candies can be redeemed for tickets to the local college basketball game.

Use candy for crafts

Use candy as the raw material to build a holiday house. Have your kids make a candy wreath by gluing packaged candies onto a frame. Fun and decorative at the same time! A great way to use up extra candy and keep the kids busy.

Just add milk

Serve a glass of nonfat milk with a piece of candy. This will help balance what you are consuming and leave less room in your stomach for more candy.

Adapted from Diabetes and Education Services website.  Accessed 10/16/19.  https://diabetesed.net/dont-be-spooked-by-leftover-halloween-candy-7-strategies/