The Times Australia
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 3:05:30 PM
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

How can kids have a healthier Halloween? And what do you do with the leftover lollies?

  • Written by Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland
How can kids have a healthier Halloween? And what do you do with the leftover lollies?

Halloween is a very exciting time for children and let’s face it, for many adults, too.

The costumes, decorations and of course the treats all contribute to the thrill of this spooky holiday. However, as parents and dietitians who research children’s eating[1], we often find ourselves grappling with the challenge of the avalanche of sugary treats.

Depending on how much your children collect on the night, the lollies can hang around for days or weeks.

Balancing our children’s enjoyment of treats with their health can be a challenging task, but there are strategies to help.

Read more: Dressing up for Halloween? You could be in breach of copyright law, but it's unlikely you'll be sued[2]

A balanced approach to sugar

The food your child eats over the whole year is more important than the foods they eat in one day or week of the year.

As part of promoting healthy eating[3], it’s important not to demonise sugar[4] but teach your child it can be consumed as part of a healthy diet. This balanced approach can help children develop a healthy relationship with all foods.

Guilt and shame around eating certain foods can disrupt normal eating patterns[5].

A positive relationship with food[6] means you give some thought to food selection so you get nutritious food but aren’t so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable times. Food and eating take up some of your time and attention, but keep their place as only one important area of your life.

You can encourage a healthy relationship with food by:

  • avoiding the ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ label: instead of labelling foods, focus on moderation and variety. Teach your child it’s okay to enjoy treats and fun foods occasionally and they don’t need to feel guilty about it.

  • modelling healthy habits: children learn by example, so be sure to model healthy eating habits yourself[7]. Show them you enjoy a range of foods without guilt or shame.

A full bowl of lollies, including gummy bears
It’s OK to enjoy treats occasionally. Graphic Wanderings/ Unsplash, CC BY-SA[8][9]

How can you have a healthier Halloween?

Halloween is a time of celebration and fun. It can also be an opportunity to promote eating in a positive and balanced way. Here are some ideas:

  • have a filling meal before you head out: a full stomach means kids are less likely to fill up on lollies. Having only lollies for dinner will lead to a sugar crash[10] and leave children hungry and cranky at bedtime

  • give your kids child-sized baskets: a smaller container can limit[11] the number of lollies your child collects and eats. Encourage them to take only one piece from each house, promoting moderation and helping kids understand there needs to be enough left over for other children

  • keep active: incorporate physical activity[12] into your Halloween celebration. Perhaps you have a long walk around your neighbourhood, so you get exercise while you trick or treat. Or you could have a zombie dance party when you get home. These activities can help your child shake out their sillies from the excitement of the night

  • have treats on hand that are not lollies: the Teal Pumpkin Project[13] (led by Food Allergy Research and Education[14]) celebrates Halloween with non-food treats and supports kids with food allergies who may not be able to have typical Halloween lollies. Instead of lollies, you could have stickers, glow sticks, pens and pencils, bubbles or small toys.

Read more: The most horrifying part of Halloween is the useless piles of waste it creates. Why not do it differently?[15]

What about all the leftover lollies?

Two kids dressed as ghosts with pumpkin buckets, trick or treating on a street.
You could save some Halloween lollies for Christmas celebrations. Charles Parker/AAP, CC BY-SA[16][17]

Some kids get to the end of Halloween evening and have an enormous haul of lollies they cannot possibly eat – even if they would like to try.

So it’s a good idea to have a “leftover lolly plan”.

Decide how many lollies your child can keep and what to do with the excess. As a general guide, you should stick to one-to-two fun-size treats a day for three-to-eight-year-olds and one fun-size treat a day for toddlers two-to-three years.

But on Halloween, it’s likely they will have more than this. Don’t stress too much and remember it’s only one night of the year. But please note babies under 12 months can choke on lollies and don’t need to have them.

For older children, consider donating some to food banks or sharing their haul with their peers at school or sporting clubs. You could also trade excess lollies for other rewards like toys or activities. Or parents could “buy” the lollies in exchange for more pocket money.

You could even create a homemade advent calendar with Halloween lollies leading into Christmas.

References

  1. ^ research children’s eating (growandgotoolbox.com)
  2. ^ Dressing up for Halloween? You could be in breach of copyright law, but it's unlikely you'll be sued (theconversation.com)
  3. ^ promoting healthy eating (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  4. ^ not to demonise sugar (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  5. ^ disrupt normal eating patterns (www.cambridge.org)
  6. ^ positive relationship with food (www.sciencedirect.com)
  7. ^ healthy eating habits yourself (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  8. ^ Graphic Wanderings/ Unsplash (unsplash.com)
  9. ^ CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org)
  10. ^ lead to a sugar crash (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  11. ^ can limit (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  12. ^ physical activity (doi.org)
  13. ^ Teal Pumpkin Project (www.foodallergy.org)
  14. ^ Food Allergy Research and Education (www.foodallergy.org)
  15. ^ The most horrifying part of Halloween is the useless piles of waste it creates. Why not do it differently? (theconversation.com)
  16. ^ Charles Parker/AAP (www.pexels.com)
  17. ^ CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org)

Read more https://theconversation.com/how-can-kids-have-a-healthier-halloween-and-what-do-you-do-with-the-leftover-lollies-216634

The Times Features

Maximizing Space in Narrow Lot Homes: Smart Design Solutions

Urban housing markets continue to push homeowners toward smaller, narrower lots as land prices climb and city populations grow. These thin slices of real estate present unique de...

The Australian cast of BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical

Producers John Frost, Colin Ingram and the creators of the original film trilogy Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale are thrilled to announce that Tony Award winner Roger Bart will do...

RCD Installation: Why It's Essential for Electrical Safety

Electricity is a powerful force that powers almost every aspect of our modern lives, but it can also be hazardous if not handled properly. Electrical hazards like electric shocks...

Why a Garage Shed is the Perfect Addition to Your Property

The most straightforward and most wholesome extension for any property. A garage shed is a potential solution for you, whether you are looking for an additional space for storage...

Revitalising Homes Through Strategic Architectural Renewal

Residential window replacement is one of the few home improvement interventions that goes far beyond simple aesthetic upgrades. Door frames and windows constitute these vital archi...

The Benefits of Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy For Children

Speech therapy has long been a standard for supporting children’s communication and emotional development. But what happens when you introduce a furry friend into the process? Th...

Times Magazine

CWU Assistive Tech Hub is Changing Lives: Win a Free Rollator Walker This Easter!

🌟 Mobility. Independence. Community. All in One. This Easter, the CWU Assistive Tech Hub is pleased to support the Banyule community by giving away a rollator walker. The giveaway will take place during the Macleod Village Easter Egg Hunt & Ma...

"Eternal Nurture" by Cara Barilla: A Timeless Collection of Wisdom and Healing

Renowned Sydney-born author and educator Cara Barilla has released her latest book, Eternal Nurture, a profound collection of inspirational quotes designed to support mindfulness, emotional healing, and personal growth. With a deep commitment to ...

How AI-Driven SEO Enhancements Can Improve Headless CMS Content Visibility

Whereas SEO (search engine optimization) is critical in the digital landscape for making connections to content, much of it is still done manually keyword research, metatags, final tweaks at publication requiring a human element that takes extensiv...

Crypto Expert John Fenga Reveals How Blockchain is Revolutionising Charity

One of the most persistent challenges in the charity sector is trust. Donors often wonder whether their contributions are being used effectively or if overhead costs consume a significant portion. Traditional fundraising methods can be opaque, with...

Navigating Parenting Arrangements in Australia: A Legal Guide for Parents

Understanding Parenting Arrangements in Australia. Child custody disputes are often one of the most emotionally charged aspects of separation or divorce. Parents naturally want what is best for their children, but the legal process of determining ...

Blocky Adventures: A Minecraft Movie Celebration for Your Wrist

The Minecraft movie is almost here—and it’s time to get excited! With the film set to hit theaters on April 4, 2025, fans have a brand-new reason to celebrate. To honor the upcoming blockbuster, watchfaces.co has released a special Minecraft-inspir...

LayBy Shopping