Not only do parents have to worry about their kids getting cavities from their trick-or-treating goodies, there is also the issue of eating too much candy, resulting in stomach aches and sugar overload. There are ways to monitor your child’s consumption of Halloween candy that are both fair and practical. The better you are about limiting your child’s intake of candy, the less you’ll have to worry about.

Not only will your child receive candy from trick-or-treating, chances are you’ll be bringing them around the mounds of candy you’ll be giving out to other kids. That means temptation for your child before even putting on a costume. Play it cool by not purchasing your Halloween candy too far ahead of time. Buying goodies too early makes it more likely that your child will start dipping into the stash. The closer to Halloween you wait, the easier it will be for your child to ignore the candy in the house and wait to go trick-or-treating. While shopping for goodies to give out, also add some healthier options for health-conscious parents of trick-or-treaters. This can include individually wrapped snack packages filled with trail mix, chips, popcorn, raisins or sandwich crackers. Also keep in mind that some children are allergic to peanuts so shop accordingly for treats that do not contain peanuts.

When your child comes back from trick-or-treating, go through the stash before allowing any consumption. If you have more than one child, take their stash and divide it up into small bundles. Put each bundle into small baggies containing equal amounts of candy and put them away for safe keeping. Instead of letting your kids completely gorge themselves on candy, use it to motivate them. Only allow them 2-3 pieces of candy each and only at specific times, such as after they’ve finished their homework or as a quick snack in between meals. On weekends you can be a bit loser with the amount of candy you’ll allow them to have. Also mix things up by offering them fresh fruit and veggies - candy shouldn’t be their only snacks.

If you happen to have a large amount of leftover candy, do not allow your child or children to eat it all. Instead, determine an amount ahead of time that you will allow your child to eat and take some for yourself if you have a sweet tooth. Take the rest to the office in a candy dish and pass around to your coworkers and boss. Are you a DIY type? Then have fun by taking your excess candy and create your own goodie bags to give out at a birthday party, get together or other special occasion. When all else fails, toss out candy that hasn’t been eaten yet - especially if it’s been a few weeks or months since Halloween.

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