Did you ever notice that almost every holiday involves candy? Who declared them a sugar fest? It is almost like how almost every Disney movie lacks a happy family. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney movies but it makes you wonder what message is hidden within. Halloween really sends the sugary message in a big way. I can remember after our kids went to bed, my husband and I would confiscate our favorites. The monitoring of how much they ate, forcing them to eat their dinner before they could have a treat, finding hidden empty wrappers.....it became a battle sometimes. And we wonder why their behavior is off and their sleeping patterns interrupted at this time.
Sound familiar? There is another way to approach this sugar coated holiday without taking away the essence of trick or treating or turning you into the wicked witch .....that's for other battles down the road.
Here are a couple of tricks......
-when the kids are preschool age, you can leave the candy outside one night and tell them The Great Pumpkin will exchange it for a prize ......which doesn't have to cost much, it could be a movie night, a picnic in the family room, family game night
-as the kids get older you can weigh their candy and exchange it for something they like........every pound is a $ amount toward their piggy bank, or toward iTunes or a special toy
- you can find a place to take the kids to donate their candy which teaches them a great lesson. Food pantries and shelters will gladly take the donation. It is never too soon to teach them there are less fortunate.
-Locally Dr. Mitchell Katz, a dentist in Avon holds a Halloween candy buy back. He pays $2 per lb up to 5 pounds and the candy is sent to the soldiers overseas for Operation Gratitude. Your child can draw a picture to go along with their donation. This year it is November 5th from 2-5pm
-Turn their treats into a math lesson. Have them count how many they have and award for every 20 or whatever number you choose. Have them sort out the candy and have them put them into like categories and reward for how many categories or colors
It can be very difficult today to shelter your kids from all of the sugar without taking their childhood away from them. White refined sugar is empty of any nutrients but high in chemical processing. Don't be fooled, sugars are basically the same, large consumption of fructose has very negative effects, especially in kids with the rise of childhood obesity and attention disorders. Limit the natural stuff too and try not to make treats rewards.
Consider making treats for the kids using alternate ingredients that will sweeten their taste buds but offer them some health benefits as well. Dates offer a sweet taste and have minerals, vitamins, fiber and phytonutrients. Coconut sugar has minerals and vitamins. Honey has antibacterial benefits and is very sweet so a little goes a long way. Another benefit to making your own treats leaves out the artificial colors, which brings a whole host of other negative effects in kids that goes as deep as neurological toxins. Artificial colors can actually be the culprit of bad behavior in many cases. I've included a couple of recipes of two of my favorite treats that your kids will love and won't turn them into goblins.
Being a parent is a balancing act and you don't want to take away their childhood, but with a couple tricks up your sleeve, you can make their occasional treats not so haunting.
Cinnamon Popcorn
Pop your popcorn in a hot air popper. Drizzle avocado oil and sprinkle cinnamon and salt (more cinnamon than salt). Mix well. Add more oil and seasoning to your taste
-Cinnamon inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory signals in the body and regulates blood sugar
-Avocado oil has numerous benefits from your skin to your heart. It is a rich source of oleic acid.
Microwave popcorn can contain chemical artificial flavor additives and most bags are lined with chemical toxins similar to teflon pans. The chemicals can stay in the body and environment for long periods of time wreaking havoc
Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
A recipe from Angela Liddon of Oh She glows
In a food processor, process the almonds until finely chopped. It’s ok if some bigger pieces remain. Just be sure not to pulverize it into a flour as you want some texture.
Remove 1/3 cup of the processed almonds and set aside for the final step.
Now, add the pitted dates and dried cherries and process until finely chopped and sticky. A dough ball will start to form.
Add in the chocolate chips and pecans and process until they are chopped. Add salt to taste and pulse the mixture. Finally, pulse in the reserved 1/3 cup almonds. If the dough is too dry to roll into ball, add water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
Roll into small balls. It is a great activity to do with the kids
These balls stay great in the freezer and can be popped anytime a sweet treat is appropriate.
-Medjool dates are best to use. They are larger and usually softer. They contain more potassium than a banana and supply 27% of the RDA of fiber
Sound familiar? There is another way to approach this sugar coated holiday without taking away the essence of trick or treating or turning you into the wicked witch .....that's for other battles down the road.
Here are a couple of tricks......
-when the kids are preschool age, you can leave the candy outside one night and tell them The Great Pumpkin will exchange it for a prize ......which doesn't have to cost much, it could be a movie night, a picnic in the family room, family game night
-as the kids get older you can weigh their candy and exchange it for something they like........every pound is a $ amount toward their piggy bank, or toward iTunes or a special toy
- you can find a place to take the kids to donate their candy which teaches them a great lesson. Food pantries and shelters will gladly take the donation. It is never too soon to teach them there are less fortunate.
-Locally Dr. Mitchell Katz, a dentist in Avon holds a Halloween candy buy back. He pays $2 per lb up to 5 pounds and the candy is sent to the soldiers overseas for Operation Gratitude. Your child can draw a picture to go along with their donation. This year it is November 5th from 2-5pm
-Turn their treats into a math lesson. Have them count how many they have and award for every 20 or whatever number you choose. Have them sort out the candy and have them put them into like categories and reward for how many categories or colors
It can be very difficult today to shelter your kids from all of the sugar without taking their childhood away from them. White refined sugar is empty of any nutrients but high in chemical processing. Don't be fooled, sugars are basically the same, large consumption of fructose has very negative effects, especially in kids with the rise of childhood obesity and attention disorders. Limit the natural stuff too and try not to make treats rewards.
Consider making treats for the kids using alternate ingredients that will sweeten their taste buds but offer them some health benefits as well. Dates offer a sweet taste and have minerals, vitamins, fiber and phytonutrients. Coconut sugar has minerals and vitamins. Honey has antibacterial benefits and is very sweet so a little goes a long way. Another benefit to making your own treats leaves out the artificial colors, which brings a whole host of other negative effects in kids that goes as deep as neurological toxins. Artificial colors can actually be the culprit of bad behavior in many cases. I've included a couple of recipes of two of my favorite treats that your kids will love and won't turn them into goblins.
Being a parent is a balancing act and you don't want to take away their childhood, but with a couple tricks up your sleeve, you can make their occasional treats not so haunting.
Cinnamon Popcorn
- Hot air popped organic popcorn
- Avocado oil
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Pop your popcorn in a hot air popper. Drizzle avocado oil and sprinkle cinnamon and salt (more cinnamon than salt). Mix well. Add more oil and seasoning to your taste
-Cinnamon inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory signals in the body and regulates blood sugar
-Avocado oil has numerous benefits from your skin to your heart. It is a rich source of oleic acid.
Microwave popcorn can contain chemical artificial flavor additives and most bags are lined with chemical toxins similar to teflon pans. The chemicals can stay in the body and environment for long periods of time wreaking havoc
Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
A recipe from Angela Liddon of Oh She glows
- 1 cup whole raw almonds
- 2/3 cup lightly packed pitted Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 3-4 tbsp dark mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 1 or 2 pinches fine sea salt, to taste
In a food processor, process the almonds until finely chopped. It’s ok if some bigger pieces remain. Just be sure not to pulverize it into a flour as you want some texture.
Remove 1/3 cup of the processed almonds and set aside for the final step.
Now, add the pitted dates and dried cherries and process until finely chopped and sticky. A dough ball will start to form.
Add in the chocolate chips and pecans and process until they are chopped. Add salt to taste and pulse the mixture. Finally, pulse in the reserved 1/3 cup almonds. If the dough is too dry to roll into ball, add water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
Roll into small balls. It is a great activity to do with the kids
These balls stay great in the freezer and can be popped anytime a sweet treat is appropriate.
-Medjool dates are best to use. They are larger and usually softer. They contain more potassium than a banana and supply 27% of the RDA of fiber