To avoid such a scene from happening this year, here are a couple tips to consider:
-Be a procrastinator this year, and buy your Halloween candy at the last minute. This will stop the temptation to crack open that big bag of chocolate a couple days early. Granted, the closer you wait until Halloween, the more likely they are to be out of your favorite type of candy– which leads to the next tip…
-Buy candy that you don’t like! The easiest way to avoid temptation is to stop it from entering your house in the first place. Try to think of the candy that’s so gross, you wouldn’t eat it even if you were sitting by the door for two hours with a big bowl of it in your hand– chances are, the kids aren’t as picky. Or better yet…
-Rather than buying sugary candies, try some healthier food options like little baggies of cinnamon almonds, mini boxes of raisins/craisins, or clementines. There are also candy-free options! Little trinkets and toys– like vampire fangs, mini slinkies, and googly eyeballs– are easy to come by at party stores or dollar stores. They provide kids with that same entertainment and fun, but without the stomach aches to follow!
-After all is said and done, make sure you don’t have leftovers after the festivities come to an end. If you still have a bit too much candy toward the end of the night, it may be time to become that neighbor that every kid loves and give out giant handfuls!
-If you end the night with too many leftovers, consider donating it! Many food banks, homeless shelters, and nursing homes will gladly take excess candy– as do some military charities such as Operation Shoebox or Operation Gratitude, who ship candy to the troops overseas.
-If you have young kids at home, you could use some of the candy they’ve collected to try some fun candy experiments! There are dozens of child-friendly experiments that can help them learn while they play with their food, rather than eating it.
Have a safe, happy, and healthy[ish] Halloween, from NADEC!