Let the sugar comas commence — really, it may be better for your kids in the long term.
Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian based in Toronto, advises giving children “unlimited access” to Halloween candy, insisting it’s actually a great way to form good habits.
Sharp explained on TikTok that she’s more focused on having her kids build healthy relationships with food than letting them eat too much sugar for a few days a year.
To that end, her first tip is to allow your kids — and yourself — “unlimited access” to candy on Halloween night.
“If you or your kids are typically restricting sugar, they probably will overeat. And that is totally fine. That’s a teachable moment for them to feel that sensation in their body,” she told her 864,000 TikTok followers last year.
Talk about overeating: Research published by Coupon Follow in 2020 found that the average American eats 3.4 pounds candy around Halloween every year, with kids consuming 7,000 calories and 3 cups of sugar on the holiday.
But the Snickers and M&Ms feast doesn’t have to end Nov. 1. Sharp said you can keep letting kids have unlimited candy for a few days after the holiday, too.
“Night one is an experiment, but we really need to follow through with some consistency for our kiddos to really be able to trust that the goodies are not gone forever and their body signals can be trusted,” she said.
This will teach kids that candy “is not so special or novel” — and may diminish the need to stuff their faces every time they see it in the future.
After that, Sharp said to go back to practicing moderation, like having one treat a day.
At least one viewer vouched for her tips, saying she and her siblings had unlimited candy access — and learned to practice moderation.
Alison Graziano, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Massachusetts General Hospital, also said free rein over trick-or-treating spoils is the way to go.
“While your kids (or you) may be most excited about the candy, Halloween is a great opportunity to teach them there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, so candy doesn’t need to be made into a big deal,” she said in 2022.
“Hiding or rationing their candy can make it seem as though candy is a ‘bad’ food or ‘off-limits,'” Graziano continued. “If you find yourself scolding your kids for eating too much candy, they’re likely going to continue to do so, often in secret to avoid being scolded or out of fear it will be taken away. Unfortunately, eating in secret can manifest as binge eating disorder later in life.”
She suggested allowing kids to pace themselves so they learn to self-regulate.