Halloween Candy: Don't Let it Scare You

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re probably sick of staring at that big Halloween candy bowl on your dining room table.

There’s a reason I still haven’t filled mine.

Who needs the extra temptation every time you walk by it?

When I head into the candy section at the store this weekend, I’m going to let my kids pick out what they want. I figure if I don’t pick up my favorite treat – those tiny Reese’s peanut butter cups – I won’t have to constantly remind myself that there’s no nutritional value to how they melt perfectly in my mouth. Or how many minutes exercising it will take to burn off the extra calories.

Once Halloween is over, any leftover candy from the big bowl gets bagged up and given away. My kids, still young enough to enjoy trick-or-treating, get to keep their candy, but we have limits on how much they eat every day and when. I also keep their stash out of reach.

Do I seem a little strict?

You can blame my parents.

My dad was a dentist. We never bought candy on a regular basis. Come Halloween, my mom handed out loose, unshelled peanuts. Some kids actually loved it.

At the time, it embarrassed me. Today, I can appreciate the message my parents were sending.

And it taught me something else about peanuts: they taste really good with chocolate.

Alice Warchol is a freelance health writer and fitness instructor.

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