Madison County Health Department news

(Wampsville, NY – Oct. 2011) Kids look forward to Halloween: it’s great fun to parade around the neighborhood in costume asking for treats. While many parents do enjoy trick-or-treating with their kids, they aren’t always overjoyed by the resulting load of sugary candy and gum collected by the end of the night.

No parent looks forward to rounding up children who are bouncing off the walls from eating too much Halloween candy. Worse yet, parents don’t want to have to play the bad guy by taking kids’ trick-or-treat bags and rationing out sweets.

Those who purchase Halloween treats to pass out to trick-or-treaters can help out parents and youngsters alike by replacing some, or all, of the traditional Halloween giveaways with some healthy alternatives. There’s no rule that says Halloween goodies have to be candy. There isn’t even a requirement that treats have to be food.

With just a little creativity, it’s easy to come up with healthy Halloween goodies for the little ghosts and vampires in your neighborhood. Your grown-up neighbors will thank you, and the kids will be happy, too.

Healthy Trick-or-Treat Ideas

Consider some of the following types of edible goodies to give away for Halloween:

* Individually wrapped granola or cereal bars

* Single-serve boxes of cereal

* Mini-bags of peanuts or other type of nut

* Mini-bags of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

* Individual serving-size packages of multi-grain crackers

* Tiny boxes or bags of raisins or other dried fruit

* Juice boxes

* Small cans of fruit

* Snack Pack pudding that doesn’t require refrigeration

Non-food items that kids might enjoy include

* Cute pens, pencils, erasers or other school supplies

* Stickers

* Rubber stamps

* Mini coloring books or puzzle books

* Plastic cups with cartoon characters, sports logos, etc.

For other ideas, check out your local dollar store or other discount outlet.

Halloween Safety Tips

Make sure that all food items that you give away are safely sealed from the manufacturer, so there is little or no concern about product safety.

Make your entry hazard-free by getting rid of any objects that children may trip over, and be sure it’s well-lit.

If you have pets, be sure they are secured away from your entry.

Make sure costumes are flame-resistant and fit well so children will not trip over them. If masks are worn, be sure they do not block the child’s view. Accessories should not impede walking.

Have the children wear comfortable shoes to avoid blisters.

Carrying a flashlight or glow stick is an excellent way to make children visible to motorists.

Reflective stickers can be applied to costumes or shoes.

If you do not accompany your children, be sure they travel in groups, hopefully with an adult. Also warn children to stay on sidewalks, if possible. If there are no sidewalks, stay to the extreme side of the street.

Do not dart between parked cars.

Proceed with caution around any motorist, assuming for safety’s sake that they cannot see your child.

It is a good idea to examine all treats before letting your children eat them to be sure they have not been tampered with. Be sure packaged candies are unopened.

Rather than a candle-lighted jack-o’-lantern, why not paint one so you can use the pumpkin flesh later in yummy treats and avoid any fire hazard? Use non-toxic paints or tinted royal icing.

Don’t forget to take pictures of your little ghouls and goblins!