Dominating the Halloween Candy

With Halloween right around the corner, high sugar snacks and treats are everywhere you look. The temptations can be overwhelming. There are a few tricks that can help keep those treats under control. Try some of these tricks to keep you on track with your goals.

1. Get Candy You Don’t Like. Buy your least favorite candy to pass out to trick or treaters. It’s the easiest way to remove the temptation of snacking on sweets at home.

2. Buy Less, Give More. Buy the bare minimum you think you’ll need for Halloween, and dole out generous portions of candy when the trick-or-treaters come to your door. This helps you avoid having leftover candy lingering in the house after Halloween.

3. Chew Sugarless Gum. Some studies have shown that chewing can not only help relieve stress, it can also satisfy a craving for sweets. Next time you feel an overwhelming urge to eat candy, just chew low-calorie gum until your sweet tooth is satisfied.

4. Give Away the Leftovers. Donate leftover candy to a number of different charities, or search for a Halloween candy buyback located near you. Buybacks are typically held at dentist offices with the goal of removing excess Halloween candy from kids.

5. Buy Candy the Day Before Halloween. If you minimize the number of days the candy is sitting around your house, you don’t have to worry about snacking on it for weeks leading up to Halloween night.

6. Choose High-Cocoa Chocolate (For Yourself). If you have to buy chocolate, opt for dark chocolate with 70–85 percent cocoa. It contains less sugar when compared to milk chocolate, and it’s a good source of important minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron. Kids may not enjoy the taste of it, but if you’re going to allow yourself some candy this Halloween, it may as well be a healthy variety.

7. Store Candy Out-Of-Reach. The more conveniently located the candy, the higher your consumption will be. Put it on the highest shelf in the kitchen, or in a place where you have to go up or down a staircase to get to it. If you have to go up a flight of stairs or break out a step stool to reach your stash of candy, you are far less likely to binge on it.

8. Count the Empty Wrappers. Don’t throw the wrapper away immediately after eating a piece of candy. Keep each wrapper in front of you and let them accumulate, so you can see exactly how much you’re eating. This encourages moderation, making you far more likely to pace yourself and avoid mindless overeating.

9. Substitute Candy with a Sweet Beverage. If your sweet tooth must be satisfied, sip a cup of light hot chocolate, fruity kombucha, or a mug of apple cider. You might be surprised how well it works to stave off sugar cravings!