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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Peas Pointers by Melanie Silverman


I love this time of year.  You want to know why?  I love everything about the pumpkin.  I love how it looks. I love how it tastes.  And I love roasted pumpkin seeds.  Not everyone feels the same way.  With pumpkins comes Halloween and with Halloween comes....CANDY!  Because I work in the kid nutrition business parents ask me a lot of questions.  One of the most frequently asked question I hear is, "What do I do with all the candy at Halloween?".  After 15 years in the business, here is a sampling of what some families do.

1.)  Let them eat candy:  Some families let the kids eat the candy for as long as it takes for the supply to dwindle to nothing.
2.)  Let them eat candy...for a few days:  These families allow the kids to eat a good hefty dose of candy on Halloween and a few pieces at snack times or after meals for about 3-5 days and then they throw it out or donate it.
3.)  Let them eat candy...only on Halloween night:  The kids can eat as much as they want only on Halloween night.  After that day, it's over.  The parents take the candy away.

What do I suggest?  I think you have to take a hard look at the whole year and not focus so much on Halloween.  If you do a good job of scheduled meals and snacks that are mostly healthy and delicious, candy will not hurt for a few days. Perhaps allowing the kids to pick 2 or 3 pieces per day is just fine at scheduled meals and snacks until it is gone.  If your kid has gobs and gobs of candy, my advice is to let them have some for a while and then donate the rest.  Some of our fellow Americans could use a few sweets in their lives.  Check out these suggestions:


However you decide to handle Halloween candy, I sincerely hope you think about more ways to utilize the pumpkin for everyone in your family through the season.  I wish you all Happy Halloween! 

Peas, 
Melanie

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