Whether your home is filled with extra candy for trick-or-treaters, your kids have buckets filled with goodies to tempt you, or your office is stocked with fall baked goods, Halloween can present some healthy-eating pitfalls.
“Life can feel filled with a series of endless hurdles when you’re trying to stay on track with healthy habits,” says Ashley Krautkramer, RD, a registered dietitian with ThedaCare. “We encourage people to take a balanced approach. Allow yourself the occasional treat in moderation, and if you stray from your goals today, you can always get back on track tomorrow.”
Halloween is often focused on treats, but here, Krautkramer provides helpful tricks for navigating the temptations of holidays and special occasions.
5 Tricks for Navigating a Time of Treats
1. Set yourself up for success.
Sticking with healthy habits can help you resist the allure of eating too many sweets. Before trick-or-treating or handing out candy, fill your day with healthy meals that include protein, fruits and veggies, and whole grains. Feeding yourself nourishing foods can help you resist temptations.
Incorporate physical activity into your day. Follow your regular exercise routine. You can also work in a bonus walk if you take your kids around the neighborhood for trick-or-treating!
Score bonus points for having a healthy, hot meal waiting for you and your family when you get home. Need a recipe? Try this Chicken and Broccoli Bake, or check out our full library of healthy recipes.
2. Allow yourself a treat.
Deprivation and strict rules rarely work for people in the long run. Instead, give yourself a little wiggle room. For you, that might look like choosing a sweet that has some added health benefits such as dark chocolate versus milk chocolate or a couple of dates filled with peanut butter. It could also mean choosing your one favorite candy and allowing yourself a few pieces.
3. Focus on moderation, not restriction.
With so much extra candy around, it can feel easy to overindulge. Is that stale peanut butter taffy or handful of sickly sweet candy corn really worth eating? Probably not. Instead of mindlessly consuming large amounts of treats, think about what you really want to eat. Enjoy it slowly, mindfully, in moderation and without guilt.
4. Rethink what defines a treat.
Maybe you want to give trick-or-treaters something different than candy. Or perhaps you don’t want the temptation of candy in your home. You have lots of options. Consider handing out non-food items such as stickers, Halloween pencils or temporary tattoos. You could also share non-candy foods such as mini bags of pretzels or cheddar baked crackers. Your young visitors will likely appreciate the variety.
If you’re hosting a Halloween gathering, try this simple and sweet yet healthy recipe. It works great for snacks or lunches as well.
Apple Nachos
- Sliced apples
- Peanut butter for drizzling — you can warm it briefly in the microwave to thin it out a bit
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- Chopped nuts
5. Give yourself grace.
Many holidays and special occasions are steeped in tradition. That may mean visiting the orchard and making caramel apples or baking and decorating Halloween cutout cookies with your family. Let yourself enjoy these rituals without guilt.
When it comes to developing long-lasting healthy habits, resiliency is key. If you miss the mark on your goals for one day, it’s much better to acknowledge it and move on than to feel guilty and beat yourself up. One day will not undo all the progress you’ve made.
Need More Tricks?
Navigating sustainable weight loss on your own can be tricky. The multidisciplinary team with ThedaCare Weight Wellness Solutions is here to help. With a range of support and treatments available, we’ll work with you to find the options that best meet your needs.
