Halloween can be pretty scary for those trying to stick to a low-carb diet.
While the thought of holding out against the evils of candy corn, marshmallow pumpkins, and chocolate bars can be frightening, you don't need to tie garlic around your neck to protect yourself from over-doing it this Halloween. Instead, try these tricks:
To Buy or Not to Buy
Be honest with yourself about whether you can deal with bags of candy sitting around the house. If you don't think you'll be able to stick with the program in the face of temptation, you shouldn't have any qualms about saying "No!" to buying treats to give out. There are lots of good non-candy substitutes to keep little trick-or-treaters happy (see our list below), and chances are that once you're further along with your diet you'll be able to handle things more confidently. For now, do what you need to do to stay on plan, even if it seems a little selfish.
For those who aren't worried about being around Halloween goodies, it's still a good idea to purchase candy you don't particularly like in order to minimize temptation. Buying treats as close to the "big day" as possible and storing them out of sight in a hard-to-reach place is another tried-and-true method of avoiding a candy binge.
Do Something Different
One way to reduce the amount of sugar you and your children consume this Halloween is to spend less time trick-or-treating and more time at parties held at community centers, places of worship or friends' houses. Such get-togethers usually involve more games and wholesome fun - and less food – than ringing doorbells and asking for treats. Nothing suitable going on in your neighborhood? You be the one to host a party for the kids on the block! The other parents are probably just as concerned about the issue of excess sugar as you are, and will thank you for taking the initiative.
Time to Teach Having a Healthy Attitude Toward Treats
Even if you've gotten through Halloween night and can proudly say you didn't cheat, you still have to deal with all that candy your children collected sitting on top of the fridge, calling your name. What can you do? After all, it's not fair to deprive the kids, right?
Wrong. Your little goblins might think they're the most put-upon, mistreated kids in the neighborhood, but you know that restricting their intake of sugary sweets is doing their health a favor - and getting a dangerous source of temptation for you out of the way, too!
That's not to say you should unceremoniously dump all the goodies. Instead, use this opportunity to teach your children that treats are just that: foods that are great to eat occasionally but are not healthy to eat all the time. Point out that other holidays are just around the corner (Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, etc.) and help them see that those celebrations will be full of special foods. Then have each child pick his or her favorite items out of the Halloween candy and decide together whether the rest of the items should be discarded, given away (perhaps you have an elderly neighbor who would enjoy a visit and some candy) or put in an out-of-the-way place for another time.
Damage Control
If you do "blow it" - no matter how badly – don't waste any time beating yourself up.
You can do some constructive things to recover, such as writing in a journal or sharing on our message board, but the most important step you can take is to get back on plan immediately. Avoid the "Oh well, I might as well wait until after the holidays," trap – there's enough time between now and New Years to do some real damage both to your weight and your self-image.
Most important, don't get so obsessed about your diet that you take the excitement out of the holiday for yourself and those around you. If you use some of the tips we've shared and you model healthy attitudes towards food, you deserve to go out and enjoy a safe, fun Halloween!
Ten Non-Candy Items to give out to Trick-or-Treaters
-
Individually packaged string cheese sticks or cheese cubes
-
Change from your change jar
-
Gift Certificates for local events (bowling, arcades, pony rides, etc.)
-
Pint-sized bottles of spring water
-
Stickers
-
Erasers (be sure small children know they are not candy)
-
Pencils
-
Crayon packs and Coloring Sheets
-
Individually packed bags/boxes of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or raisins
-
Individually packaged bags of baby carrots or celery stickss
What Do Other Low-Carbers Do to Get Through Halloween?
I asked our members to share strategies that had worked for them. Here's what they came up with:
"My favorite Halloween survival tip is to buy only candy you would absolutely NOT eat...in my case it's anything sour (like Sweetarts and sour gummies in little packages), bubblegum, or cherry-flavored stuff. I avoid chocolate like the plague.
I also like to shop at dollar stores and get non-food things to give out like little glow-in-the-dark skull rings, temporary tattoos, little plastic spiders and eyeballs (little boys love these!), Halloween decorated pencils and erasers, bottles of bubbles, hair ornaments for girls and little cars for boys. Kids actually like this stuff, and I feel better knowing I'm not giving them junky food.
If I'm going to a Halloween party, I make sure I eat before I go (this is also true of Christmas parties). These gatherings are always sure to include a lot of sweets, and if I eat first, or better yet, hide a bag of almonds in my costume, I can resist all those goodies. For most parties, I walk around sipping a big glass of seltzer with lemon. This way, people aren't offering me drinks I'm trying to avoid, and I stay feeling full." - submitted by Trina
"I buy candy I TOTALLY can not stand! Hard candy and bubble gum...that way I am NOT tempted. Also, I don't buy it until the day before, or day of trick or reating...just to be on the safe side." - submitted by shelley
"I started my [low-carb] journey about two weeks before Halloween in 1998. With no kiddies at home, I only worried about the ones who might come to my door. I already had the individually wrapped candy - little Hershey Bars of various kinds, of course. (Would I give anything but the best to the little goblins?) I gave them out and, with much whining and gnashing of teeth, I managed not to touch them before I could bring them right to work next day and set them out for those who haunt the break room.
The next year, I was planning to get a bunch of pre-wrapped candy of various kinds that I didn't like anyway, so I wouldn't be miserable before I could bring the left-overs to work. Then it occurred to me ... I was giving out things to eat that I really thought were BAD for people. Fruit was out, since most moms would just toss it, rather than take the time to get it x-rayed at the fire station. Then I came across a bunch of small packs (like vending size) of mixed nuts at Sam's club.
Problem solved! Safe, individually wrapped, and not poisonous!
I no longer offer anyone something that I wouldn't eat myself - for this or any other holiday." - submitted by Maggie
"Move to Australia - we hardly celebrate it at all!" - submitted by Sandra
"I don't have too bad a time getting though Halloween even with mountains of candy staring you in the face as you walk in the supermarket door for a solid month. But my solution to Halloween night itself is to cop out. I go to my sister's or my Dad's and hide out. I do that because I used to always buy enough candy for 30 or 40 trick or treaters and 10 would come. Guess who ate the remainder? Last year Ii bought candy and gave it to my sister to give out along with her offering. That helped assuage the guilt." - submitted by Rob
