Find a Healthy Balance This Halloween

It’s Halloween night. Kids are scampering around the neighborhood ringing doorbells, filling their pillowcases full of candy and looking forward to a night full of sweets.

“Candy and sweets can be ok, in moderation,” said Dana Schaad, MPH, RDN, a registered dietician at Trinity Health Ann Arbor. “But when kids come home with bags full of sugary sweets, parents should try to help educate and moderate their sugar consumption, while promoting balance. Be sure to have a meal before heading out for trick-or-treating!”

Schaad is part of a multidisciplinary team that runs the Healthy Families Program, promoting strong, healthy bodies and families. She works with children, teens and families who are trying to get back to healthy. “Enjoying Halloween and all holidays is important,” said Schaad. “Families should enjoy everything that goes along with it – walking door to door trick-or-treating is great exercise and it’s a fun thing to do! We are just moving the emphasis from food to making memories with families and friends. It’s a subtle difference, but we hope to change the culture around special occasions.”

Instead of handing out sweets to trick-or-treaters, families could give play tattoos, stickers, pencils, silly putty or slime, glow sticks or maybe even coins. Schaad also recommends mini bags of pretzels, popcorn or small bottles of water.

Giant Bag of Sweets


After trick-or-treating is over and kids drag their bag of sweets into the house, there is still more fun to be had! Depending on your child’s health, it can be ok for them to have a couple pieces of candy on Halloween. Kids could choose their favorites and freeze their candy and have a piece or two a day. Families could also have the ‘Switch Witch’ visit their home to take the candy and replace it with a small gift or gift card. Kids could also donate their candy to military troops overseas, through their dentist or programs such as Treats for Troops.

Healthy Festivities


The kids in the Healthy Families Program are happily spreading the message of healthy eating to their friends. “We talk about eating less fried foods,” said one child participant. “At home, we love to make cucumbers with lime and tajin,” said another child participant.

“It’s great to include festive ways to serve fruits and veggies along with other holiday foods, there are lots of fun and easy ideas online,” said Schaad. “Playing active games at Halloween parties like Monster Freeze Dance or a scavenger hunt are fun activities to incorporate exercise.”

Healthy Year-Round


Schaad says cutting back on holiday junk foods and adding to tradition with holiday activities can be fun and engaging while filling us with energy – physically and emotionally. For all holidays – and even year-round, we should be sure to have balanced meals with many food groups, so our bodies get the nutrition they need to stay healthy throughout the year.

Parents in the program are talking to their friends about eating healthy, too! “We talk about ways to drink enough water each day, get enough protein, how to curb cravings and meal prep for busy families,” said a parent.

The Healthy Families Program is offered in person and virtually – year-round. Find out if the program is right for you by visiting the Healthy Families Program.