To find out what the experts have to say about our and our kids’ nutrition on the spookiest night of the year, Bored Panda spoke with Maggie Jackson, a lifestyle expert blogger, TV host, and frequent contributor to KTLA Morning News in Los Angeles, as well as pediatric dietitian and feeding expert Rachel Rothman, MS, RD, CLEC, who is the author of Nutrition in Bloom.
Being a mom of two toddlers, Maggie Jackson shares tips to make families' lives more fun, healthier, and easier, including simple recipes and product recommendations. According to her, kids want sugary candy and snacks because they're convenient and come in fun shapes wrapped in colorful packaging.
“A chocolate-covered peanut butter pumpkin wrapped in glow-in-the-dark packaging is way cooler than celery sticks, right?! But healthy food can be fun, too, with a little creativity! Examples: Utilize Halloween cookie cutters to make festive shapes in healthy sandwiches; Use dried fruit and nuts to make jack o' lantern faces on whole wheat pancakes or waffles; Add shredded zucchini to your favorite pumpkin bread mix for an extra boost of veggies that you can't taste,” Jackson told us. She said she always tries to sneak in veggies and fruit wherever she can.
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Another way to keep Halloween snacks on the healthier side, Jackson says, is to get your kids involved in preparing healthy snacks, and make the experience fun and pressure-free.
“I've noticed that my children are more likely to try new, healthy foods if they help me prepare them in the kitchen, especially if it's a festive snack like the Spider Crackers!”Moreover, “If they refuse to eat the healthy snack they prepared, don't make a big deal of it. At least they were exposed to healthy food and created a fun memory making it with you,” Jackson added.
Meanwhile, if you're stressed out about your kids' potential sugar rushes and crashes this Halloween, Jackson reminds everyone that it's just for one night. “Continue offering healthy options at home, and your child will be fine.”
Meanwhile, Rachel Rothman, who’s a pediatric dietitian helping parents conquer mealtime stress, uses a practical and evidence-based approach and helps families create happier, stress-free meals without pressuring, bribing or forcing. “My two daughters are my biggest teachers, as my goal is to always help all little ones form a healthy relationship with food, enjoy eating, and feel good about themselves and their bodies,” Rothman said.
Rothman’s advice here is to not obsess at all about Halloween sweets. “And I really mean: not at all! As I share in this blog post, Halloween is one day of the year. Kids typically eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day, and there are 365 days in a year, which comes to 2,190 meals and snacks. So don’t let one night’s candy become more important than the other 2,189,” the dietitian explained.
According to Rothman, candy is part and maybe the biggest one of Halloween, but “that’s okay!” “When serving other food on Halloween, stick to offering nutritious options if that works for you. I invite families to offer a full meal prior to any activities or parties, as many kids lose interest once the evening activity gets underway,” she told Bored Panda.
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Rothman invites parents and caregivers to let Halloween be about having fun with their kids and their families. “Helping children to develop a positive relationship with food is so much more than the food they are eating: it's about connection, togetherness and making enjoyable memories.”
She explained that “when we start to demonize or worry too much about candy or label some foods as 'junk,' we are creating fear around these sweets, which can be negative in the long run, leading to sneaking, hoarding, or other unhealthy behaviors.”
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In fact, being a pediatric dietitian, Rothman lets her kids eat as much candy as they want on Halloween “(yes, they eventually stop).” “Then we normalize it by treating remaining candy as a 'snack' food they can have a piece or two of in the following days until they gradually lose interest.”Moreover, parents can also turn candy into a learning activity: count the candy, or sort it by shape and size, or taste the candy together and describe the flavor, Rothman argues.
