Halloween is almost here! It’s a day that is full of excitement and anticipation, an evening of trick-or-treating fun, a night of exhausted sugar-induced meltdowns, and the always present Halloween Hangover that takes over November 1.
If you have little kids who don’t know what they are missing, enjoy it while it lasts! Feed them an early dinner, put on the costume, pose for lots of photos, trick or treat at 3 houses, let them pick one piece of candy to eat, give them a bath, and call it a night! No Halloween Hangover for you and yours… yet!
You know how it goes when the kids get a little older. They run from house to house to see how much candy they can get – and when their bag is full, they figure out a way to get even more. They trade with siblings and friends. All the while, gorging on candy faster than you can say “no more candy!”
Dinner is forgotten. The evening drags on later and later. No one wants to go to bed. Sugar highs crumble into epic meltdowns.
This year, come up with a different plan. Focus on Halloween health. Don’t laugh – you don’t have to give up the holiday! Instead, change it up. Eat a little candy – and dance!
4 Halloween Health Tips Holidays are always the perfect excuse to make poor choices in regards to our health – because it’s only for one day. It makes enough sense. Have fun, eat junk, feel yucky, and get back on track the next day.
However, there are healthy things you can do to still enjoy and take part in Halloween festivities! 1. Plan healthy meals for the day. Most of Halloween is just like any other day, so eat the way you normally would. Make a healthy dinner a priority. Your favorite chili in the crockpot is always a festive Halloween dinner option! Eat your healthy meals first so you don’t have an empty stomach when you are tempted by Halloween treats.
2. Schedule time to exercise on October 31 and November 1. Exercise helps lower your blood sugar levels and does so for up to 12 hours after you exercise. Making exercise a priority will make you feel better even if you indulge on a few too many treats. What’s more, dance is a great option for exercise and is something kids and adults can enjoy together.
3. Choose healthier treat options.
If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, you’re in luck because it’s the healthiest candy option.
If you don’t love candy but you are a fan of other desserts, consider baking or picking up an apple pie or pumpkin bread. At least you will be getting the benefits of the nutrients provided by the fruit!
If you are hosting a Halloween party, consider serving some of these healthy treats from Super Healthy Kids.
If you are passing out candy, purchase candy that you don’t really like. That way, you won’t be tempted to eat it all before Halloween arrives!
4. Drink extra water.
Drinking water lowers blood sugar levels by helping the kidneys flush out the extra sugar. On Halloween, try to drink extra water throughout the day and carry a bottle of water while you trick or treat.
4 Steps to Avoid a Halloween Hangover
No one wants a Halloween Hangover, but it can be a challenge to resist all of the temptations! Here are 4 easy ways to avoid feeling sluggish on November 1:
1. Eat a healthy dinner before trick or treating!
Decide what you will eat and buy the ingredients in advance. Preparing the meal earlier in the day will help ensure that it’s ready to go when things get busy. Save a little room for candy, but fill up on the real food before you head out.
2. Make a plan for Halloween night – and stick to it!
Instead of trick or treating for the full two hours, commit to being home after one hour. Or, decide on a reasonable number of houses you will visit before you head home.
Perhaps passing out candy is more fun than trick or treating. Set aside a few of your favorites and hand out the rest. (Your last trick-or-treaters will be overjoyed when they walk away with a handful of candy!)
3. Invite friends!
Once you come up with your plan, tell some friends about it and invite them to join you. After you trick or treat, go to someone’s house and do something active like…
Find a Halloween playlist and dance!
Dancing is a great way to work off some of the sugar – and have fun with your friends!
4. Eat a little candy – and then put it away.
There is no need to eat all or even a lot of the candy in one night! Choose a few of your favorites and enjoy them. Save the rest for later – or find an organization that sends candy to the military.
Dance on Halloween
Making dance part of your Halloween is the perfect way to celebrate, have fun, and do something healthy and active.
Play music and dance!
A quick search will come up with many fun options for Halloween playlists. Here are a few that we like:
The Ultimate Halloween Party Playlist
Halloween Inspired Workout
Kid-Friendly Halloween Songs
Or spend some time creating your own playlist!
This idea could not be easier to make happen:
Turn on the Halloween tunes.
Start dancing.
Everyone will join in!
Learn a Halloween dance together!
Encourage your family to each come up with their own Halloween dance. After trick or treating, each person can work off some of the sugar by performing their dance. Then, teach some of the moves to the rest of the group!
Not into choreographing your own dance? YouTube to the rescue! These Halloween dances look like a great time:
Kidz Bop Monster Mash
‘This is Halloween’ Kids Dance Routine
10 Minute Dance Workout – Halloween Mix
Thriller Dance Choreography
Adding dance to Halloween could be a new favorite tradition – something everyone looks forward to each year. Instead of sharing with their class about all of the candy they ate, your kids will be sharing about the awesome Halloween dance party! Share Your Videos! We’d love to see a video of you and your family or friends dancing on Halloween! Please post them and we may share on social media or in another blog post!
Tagged dancing, halloween, Healthy Eating, Music, Pumpkins, Trick or Treat
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