Halloween is almost here which means candy bowls are filling up. As this can be a challenging holiday, we wanted to remind you of the pointers we posted last year to survive the Halloween candy bowl.
6 Pointers for Surviving the Halloween Candy Bowl
1. Give yourself permission to eat the Halloween candy
Eating candy is not a moral dilemma, you are not good or bad for eating candy. Allow yourself to enjoy a couple pieces here and there. When we place foods off limits we are more likely to crave and then over eat those foods.
2. Eat a couple pieces as a part of your meal, for example packing a couple pieces with your lunch
Since a lot of candy is mainly carbohydrate (think quick energy), eating it with your meal will create more satisfaction. Your meal includes protein and dietary fat, which will allow the carbohydrate to absorb more slowly in your system. This also helps with #1, permission to eat candy.
3. Combine sweet candy (Starbursts, Skittles, Laffy Taffy, etc.) with chocolate and/or nut filled candy (Snickers, Reeses, Peanut M&Ms, etc.)
Since the sweet candy is mainly carbohydrate, combining it with chocolate or nut filled candy that has more protein or dietary fat will create a more satisfying combination of macronutrients. This will allow for a more satisfying snack.
4. Ask yourself, "Am I Hungry?" before deciding to grab a piece
Candy can definitely be a part of your meal or eaten as a snack. Issues arise when we eating ANYTHING when we are not hungry. Check in with yourself each time you go to eat anything.
5. Eat mindfully
Instead of popping piece after piece, try to pick a couple pieces, sit down at the table, and savor what you are eating. This will increase your satisfaction with less quantity.
6. Enjoy other parts of the holiday
Even though a lot of the fun of Halloween is trick-or-treating and collecting as much candy as your old pillow case can carry, something that can be helpful for you and your family is to find different activities to celebrate this season. For example, go to a pumpkin patch and carve pumpkins together (even roast the pumpkin seeds for a fun healthy treat!), go to a corn maze, go to a haunted house, instead serve the candy at your house, or donate some of your collected candy to local shelters.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with a Registered Dietitian to discuss emotional, compulsive, and/or binge eating, please click here to read about our practice or click here to schedule an appointment. #dallasnutritionalcounseling
Ghosts, Goblins, and Candy Galore - Food For Thought - Dallas Nutritional Counseling #caseybonanoRD #dallasnutritionalcounseling #dallasdietitian #DFWRD #halloween #survivingthecandybowl #intuitiveeating #nondietnutrition #carbfatpro #holidays #eatingdisorderdietitian