Sweet Treats - M's Gems

By: Melissa Goldberg

Photo Found Here

Itʼs that time of year when every time Iʼm strolling through the supermarket aisles I become tempted by the Halloween displays of candy. All of which seem to bring me back to my childhood and suddenly make me want to be nostalgic and tear open a box of milk duds. It also seems that there are multiple displays, at various points throughout the supermarket that prey on my willpower. What is it about a 2 pound bag of candy corn that makes me want to nonchalantly grab and toss it into my cart? I donʼt understand why I have to unleash this strength of character to avoid grabbing for those mini Hersheyʼs?

They sell this stuff all year long and for some reason because itʼs October and Halloween is approaching, it seems as though I can't resist! It's like I have allowed myself a sense of entitlement to buying and eating all this candy.

Before I go any further, I am not going to preach that candy is bad, itʼs not. Okay, maybe a little bad but itʼs delicious and it makes us happy. When put into perspective and eaten in moderation it is a perfect addition to any holiday or special occasion. A birthday party would not be the same without birthday cake and Easter would not be the same without jellybeans. Hanukah would not be the same without chocolate gelt and could you imagine Christmas without candy canes and gingerbread houses?

While the holidays have always had the traditional candy, it seems that every holiday these days has become a huge marketing platform and so although we have always had “sweets” as part of many celebrations over the past several years we have been introduced to an enormous amount of marketing and genius products. Have you seen how many types of peeps they make now? When I was a kid they had yellow chick shaped marshmallows only during Easter time. Now? There are orange pumpkin peeps at Halloween, snowmen at Christmas and every holiday has itʼs own shaped marshmallow. Again, Iʼm not complaining, but I am realizing, that if I donʼt maintain a level of self control I may be setting a bad example for my kids.

Perhaps spending a bit more time enjoying different activities around each holiday and embracing the traditions, my kids will have an even better time and not get so caught up over the sweets. Cynthia made a great example during this weeks radio show. She said her son immediately thinks about pizza and cake when she mentions "birthday party", so what are ways to keep the sweets involved but in a healthier way and in a way that we can emphasize the actual party and activities and encourage our children to look beyond the goody bags? Halloween is around the corner, so I have shared some gems about how to make it just as fun by thinking outside the box (of chocolates that is).

Stick to your Beliefs - Yesterday, I took my son to the doctor after he complained his throat was hurting. We were unable to see his regular doctor and we had the opportunity to meet his partner. This doctor decided to do a throat culture and she did something I had never experienced at this office. She got a sugar free lollipop and had it unwrapped and ready to pop in after she gagged him with the swab. I personally didnʼt mind, but I made a comment and said “Iʼve never seen that trick, we have to talk to Dr. Bookner about that one” and she responded “Well, the lady doctors in this office disagree with the male doctors about this all the time”. I laughed. I know our doctor is a bit of a health nut and so I wasnʼt shocked. I kind of like the whole lollipop trick but I think itʼs nice that he can stick to his style about his feelings around candy and wonʼt give his colleague grief about her style.

Moderation - Itʼs okay to indulge as long as itʼs in moderation. One of the biggest contributions to child obesity is portion control. It is important when discussing food options to stay away from what is “good” and “bad” but that moderation is key. Positive messages help avoid stress and guilt which eventually can lead eating disorders. Alexandra Zissu said it best, “Gentle nudging on food education...”

Find Healthier Options - When I was a child, it seemed the biggest problem with trick or treating was the concern for tooth decay. Although candy still causes cavities, it seems to have taken a back burner to both child obesity and candy ingredients such as unrefined sugar. There are several ways to choose healthier options and you donʼt need to give up the lollipops for carrot sticks. Simple switches are sugar free lollipops made from agave sugar or Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. My kids love chocolate covered strawberries and once you have a double burner of melted chocolate prepared, you will be amazed at what we find around the house to dip into chocolate. We have dipped bananas, dried apricots, pretzels, apples and granola bars. Depending on your definition of “healthy” there are many organic and fair trade options for confections that are available in local supermarkets. When Cynthia asked about her favorite treat “Rice Kripsy Treats” Alexandra Zissu offered a great alternative by using brown rice cereal and organic or homemade marshmallows.

Spend less time trick or treating and find different outdoor activities - There are many things to do before you begin your journey of trick or treating. You can have a scavenger hunt with all the kids in the neighborhood. If the children are younger have them collect leaves in the yard and have a contest who found the biggest leaf or the best colored leaf. They can make a collage with all the leaves and then set out trick or treating. Telling a silly ghost story can be fun too. Get kids into the holiday spirit by having traditions beyond collecting candy.

Talk about candy and sugar and why too much can make your body feel bad - Your beliefs about sugar are your own. Some folks have stronger thoughts about what is good and bad for your children, however we do know too much of anything is not a good thing and if you eat too much candy you might get a belly ache or a headache. Child obesity is a growing concern and when kids learn about healthy food options they will develop better food habits from a young age. There are plenty of sugar substitutes that you can try like agave.

Explore the foods of the season, what they are and where they come from - Apple picking is a fun activity to do as a family with children of all ages. Think about different questions you can ask and discuss with your kids in helping them learn. Some good questions to ask when you are apple or pumpkin picking are: What other foods grow on a tree? Which apple is your favorite? What different ways can we eat apples, cut up, whole, peeled, baked, in a pie? Even a visit to a local whole foods store can introduce your children to new types fruits and vegetables. Visit a farm and see how the animals live, what they eat and the foods they produce for us to eat.

Set Expectations or Make A Plan - The art of negotiation is never to early to start implementing. I did read you canʼt negotiate with toddlers, but I think you can. To avoid a huge upset when you do not allow your child eat their tenth piece of candy, make sure to discuss a trick or treat plan or your Easter basket plan. In our house, we allow the kids to go through their loot and pick out a couple of pieces they want. The candy collected from trick or treating “disappears” after the week is over. I suggest they eat their favorites first, this way they quickly lose interest and forget about their stash.

Wishing everyone a spooktacular Halloween!!

~ Mʼs Gems