Healthy Suggestions for Halloween

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Oct 252011
 

When I went trick or treating as a child I remember my favorite house to go to was not giving chocolates away ~ actually they were giving pomegranates!  And that was one of my very favorite things to eat.  I did not think of it as a “healthy” choice ~ just a tasty one!  As a parent I always wished I had that pomegranate tree in the backyard to share with the trick or treaters at Halloween.

Today with the average amount of sugar per child per day at about 60-100 grams, it is no wonder we are dealing with an increase in childhood diabetes as well as childhood obesity.  And Halloween happens to be one of those days when candy is king.  Of course no one wants to spoil Halloween for any child.  The fun of dressing up and knocking on neighbor’s doors was always one of my very favorite things to do, as well as my own children and my grandchildren.  Picking out that favorite costume begins almost before summer comes to an end.

So what’s a parent to do?  Perhaps choosing to hand out fun stickers, temporary tattoos, cute plastic jewelry, dried fruit (such as little boxes of raisins), little boxes of crayons and little packages of pretzels could be an alternative for some of the candy.  One idea my daughter has used each year is to let each of the children pick out 10 of their very favorite pieces of candy from their “loot” and then leave the rest on the porch for the “Halloween Candy Witch” to take it and leave them a very special surprise.  That actually has been quite successful.

I just learned of a site where you can donate your Halloween candy and it actually goes to our troops serving overseas.  That was pretty impressive!  They even ask the children to send pictures and notes along with the candy they send.    Donations can also be given for toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Dentists participate as well:

How Does The Program Work?

  • Participating dentists “buy” back kids’ Halloween candy at a scheduled event
  • “Buy” with cash, coupons, toothbrushes, creative exchanges – They can partner with local businesses to give away coupons for food, services, goods, etc.  They can give away the Hygiene Kits, they can set up an Opportunity Prize–each kid gets a ticket per pound of candy for an opportunity drawing to win special prizes, etc.
  • Dentists send the candy to Operation Gratitude    (Get Involved Volunteer)or other Military support groups
  • Operation Gratitude sends the candy  to U.S. Military deployed in harm’s way
Sweetie’s Candy Shop, a new candy store in downtown Wake Forest, is also accepting extra Halloween candy through Nov. 15 and is shipping it to deployed troops in Afghanistan. The store’s owner, Darlene Stroud, has a military connection; her son-in-law recently returned home from serving in the army. The surplus candy will be sent to Staff Sgt. Stephen Reavis, who is currently serving in Afghanistan, and whose wife, Mikki, is a Wake Forest hair stylist. Reavis is the platoon sergeant for the 82nd Airborne Division, and he’ll share the candy with his brigade, according to a press release.
Another suggestion is to make sure your little ones have a nutritious meal before going out that evening to collect their treats.  Hungry children will definitely consume more candy than those who have filled up on dinner.  If you cannot interest them in the usual dinner fare, offer them a simple shake that is nutritious as well as filling.  Our grandchildren enjoy either the French Vanillaor Bavarian Cocoa Meal Shake and it actually provides 19 essential vitamins and minerals, is low fat, low-glycemic, good protein source and is a “healthy fast food!”
What about you?  How do you handle all of that “loot” that comes in on Halloween night?  Would love to hear your ideas as well.


 

Face Paint….The Scariest Part of Halloween

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Oct 272010
 

Suzy wants to be a princess, Jack is a ghoul, Maggie is an adorable witch. Dressing up for Halloween is great fun and memorable. But beware of toxic chemicals like lead and mercury that can be lurking in those appealing face painting packages.

Many parents would rather use the face painting make-up than cover their child’s face up with a mask, which of course can obscure vision as they walk along dark streets. But lurking in that make-up can be chemicals which can cause reactions in some children who may be allergic to certain ingredients.

Disturbing findings from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics were discovered when 10 childrens face paints were sent to an independent lab to test for heavy metals. All of these face paints contained low levels of lead. Experts say there is no safe level of lead exposure for children.

Other results included allergens including nickel, chromium and/or cobalt at levels ranging from 1.6 to 1.120 ppm – far above the safety recommendations of industry studies. These allergens are known to trigger skin rashes that can continue to appear throughout life with subsequent exposures.

Of course none of these metals were listed in the ingredients on the packaging. Some even stated misleading claims such as “hypoallergenic” and “FDA compliant” on the packaging. We all know that face paints are used year-round at festivals, fairs, childrens parties, etc.

What’s a parent to do? Because all of the face paints that were tested contained lead, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recommend that parents avoid any and all face paints until safety standards are put in place. Meanwhile, creating your own face paint with food-grade ingredients was suggested. Here is a great site for some creative ideas.

What about your experiences with face paint. Do you have any homemade remedies to recommend?

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