Halloween Candy And Diabetes: Advice For Parents
Making Halloween a little less spooky for diabetic kids and parents
October 26, 2016
Halloween can be a frightful delight, but for some, the scary part is not just the costumes and haunted houses, it’s the candy. When it comes to Halloween candy and diabetes, parents have to be extra cautious, while still letting their children indulge in all the fun that comes along with the holiday. Here are some tips for making the holiday spooktacular instead of spiked.
Make Candy Disappear
We’re not talking about making candy disappear with your mouth here! Big bowls of candy are sure to be a big temptation for everyone, but it doesn’t have to go to waste! Trick-or-treat early in the evening and hand out the candy you got with your little ones to see all the crazy costumes. Another great option for your house is handing out non-candy items such as stickers, bouncy balls, erasers, or even mini pumpkins.
Families can also consider donating much of the candy to a local children’s hospital where there are kids who could not go out to trick-or-treating. We all know that no one likes to have their candy taken away, to sweeten the deal for younger children, consider buying each piece back with pennies and nickels and dimes and letting them pick their top 5 pieces to save for special occasions. Another option is to trade all the candy for a two-item that they have really been wanting.
Get Spooky
Focus on the fun of dressing up and making fun Halloween crafts! Making your own Halloween costume can be hard work, but parading your creations around town is always a fun celebration of a job well done. Hit the pumpkin patch and try painting your pumpkins instead of carving this year. Transform your pumpkins into monsters by adding arms and legs!
Halloween Snack Ideas
It can be difficult to manage your child’s Halloween candy and their diabetes, but you can make healthy Halloween snack alternatives to keep hungry hands out of the cookie jar!
– Diabetic Approved Pumpkin Roll by Gourmet Diabetic
– Graveyard Dessert Cups by Everyday Diabetic Recipes
– Monster Sandwiches – Cut cheese slices and seaweed slices you can easily create spooky monsters on sandwich bread and spinach tortillas for roll-ups.
– Mini Clementine Pumpkins – Peel clementines and part of a cucumber, slice cucumber skin into small pieces for the stem
– Roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkle with salt or cinnamon and low-glycemic coconut sugar.
– Frozen peeled grapes as spooky eyeballs
– Popcorn, a classic favorite that never gets old, add raisins for a sweet and salty twist
“Of course, children with type 1 diabetes can have sugary candy in moderation — as long as they are careful to minimize the disruption to blood glucose control, says Webb. No candy is completely off-limits. But when you have healthier alternatives around, your child will be more apt to make better choices.
Disclaimer: The experiences and suggestions recounted in these articles are not intended as medical advice, and they are not necessarily the “typical” experiences of families with a child who has type 1 diabetes. These situations are unique to the families depicted. Families should check with their healthcare professionals regarding the frequency of blood glucose monitoring.” Source.
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