How We Halloween!

With very little ones over here, Halloween isn't yet the big exciting holiday that it will become in their minds. And we know it's only going to get harder. But here are a few steps we're taking to try to set some healthy habits now! 

1. Healthy all week! 

We've bookmarked every listicle and Pinterest board of healthy Halloween treats. Banana ghosts, witch's fingers, apple mouths, and creepy mummy fingers! Each day of the week leading up to Halloween we've put special healthy halloween snacks and treats in their lunches and even dinners to get them excited about the holiday in smaller doses. 

2. Dinner Dinner Dinner! 

Insisting on a very special Halloween dinner before they go out is a MUST. We make sure they're well fed with healthy and filling Halloween goodies BEFORE they leave the house. We do veggie pizza slices (our own Peas of Pie is perfect for this) and plenty of protein to keep them full all evening. It may not be a sit down affair, given the chaos of putting finishing touches on costumes and finding a pillowcase that can get smeared with chocolate, so we make sure to serve a couple easy items they can eat with one hand while we rush around if need be! That way they're not starving and eating candy as dinner! 

3. Running Just as Fast as We Can! 

In order to burn off some of that sugar energy, every time they eat a piece of candy while we're out trick-or-treating, we run as fast as we can to the next house or down the block! When we lived in apartment building, there was no elevator rule so we would run up to the next floor. This helped keep the blood sugar levels more stable and ensure that they'll sleep when we get home. 

4. Sort and Switch

When the kiddos get home, we let them have their little candy feast for a while. Usually this is less eating and more sorting their haul gleefully on the floor. While they're young enough, we take the candy and ration it out for them - one piece in their lunches for a couple of days, and then here and there during the week. But we're really considering some other options we've found, like the Switch Witch idea of encouraging them to trade their candy in for a toy. There is also a local dentist that is offering cash for candy! 

We want to know - how do you keep halloween healthy?! What traditions and tactics are instituting to develop good holiday habits?