Sure it's okay to treat yourself occasionally, but to make sure you're not really tricking yourself, find out how many calories are in that candy! Since "fun" size candies typically don't come with a Nutrition Facts label, refer to the following list to make sure you're not eating more calories than you think. Those little treats can add up quickly.
Download a free Halloween candy list here! (a GoogleDoc)
To give yourself a hand, here are some additional tips to help you minimize the temptation to over-do it:
- Make sure there is a limited quantity of candy in your home. In other words, try to estimate only the amount you need so there aren't bunches of leftovers. Try not to open candy bags until trick-or-treat time.
- For your Halloween candy handouts, buy candy that you don't particularly like. You won't feel as much like snagging a piece!
- After trick-or-treating, weed through the candy buckets and get rid of things you (and your family) don't like.
- Don't leave buckets or bowls of candy in plain sight. Instead, put them on a high shelf in the pantry or cupboard where you don't see them all the time.
- Freeze chocolate candy so that it's out of sight, out of mind, but still available for the occasional treat.
- Set some limits about how many pieces you, your spouse and your kids are allowed in a day.
This is a special time of year! Part of the fun includes some special treats and foods we don't eat often throughout the rest of the year. But remember, most of what we eat should be doing something good for our bodies. Candy is a treat because it doesn't have much nutritional value and can often times come packing a lot of fat and added sugar. Enjoy yourself, but keep it within limits so you're taking care of your health too.
Have a fun and safe Halloween!
Even though I don't have any kids to bring Halloween candy in the house, I am always so tempted when I see all of the goodies on sale at the store!! Usually I get one of my favorite thing (Snickers) and stick it in the freezer. It makes me forget that it's there so I don't eat them very often, and it takes longer to eat one so I enjoy it more when I do have one!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure this message was wrote indirectly about me (Mr. Patton). I fall victim more easily than Liz. I recently went to Sam's and bought a bag of candy (of course at Sam's you know it's the super duper value size) for our potential trick-or-treaters. I have already broken open the bag...oops! But as my wife always says, it's okay in moderation. It's not something we have year round. So, to put a little nutritional spin on the famous words of Anheuser-Busch...Eat Responsibly!!!
ReplyDeleteMr. Patton