1 November 2016Three Ways to Get Rid of Halloween Candy with Style

That was the day after Halloween, and the temptation was there, to eat all of the treats without a care. However, even those fun-size treats can be 50 to 100 calories each, and who can stop at just one. Try these 3 tips to get rid of Halloween candy with style, so the calories do not land on Mom’s hips and Dad’s spare tire.

Three Ways to Get Rid of Halloween Candy

1.Freeze it

Chop up the candy bars into small pieces and put into baggies for special treats throughout the year when cooking or baking.

• Use as toppings for yogurt or ice cream.
• Put in a smoothie or milkshake.
  Cherry Garcia Shake: In a blender, put frozen cherries, a frozen peeled banana, plain Greek yogurt (0%) fat, vanilla flavoring, and ¼ cup of a chopped up candy bar. Blend until smooth for an afternoon treat!
• Mix into pumpkin bread, cookies or banana bread instead of chocolate chips.
• Make your own trail mix by adding dried fruit, pretzels and nuts.
• Decorate a gingerbread house for the holidays.

2. Create a Teaching opportunity

Who would not want to learn something new, if the items at stake are candy?

• Teach Portion Control
  Let children choose one big piece and two small pieces each day. Teaches making choices and portion control.
• Practice Math Skills
  Use small pieces for counting, adding and percentages. Your children will especially enjoy subtraction using small treats.
• Demonstrate Thoughtfulness
  Think about family members who are far away in need of a surprise. It could be an older sibling at college or a niece who is in the hospital or an old high school or college teacher you’ve been wanting to say “thank you” to. Make a homemade box, mail it off, and improve someone’s day.

3. Donate it

A variety of organizations would gladly put your extra Halloween candy to good use by sharing it with others.

• Many dentist or orthodontic offices collect extra Halloween candy and donate them to local food banks, nursing homes or homeless shelters.
• You can also send extra candy to Operation Gratitude which sends “care packages” to U.S. Troops stationed throughout the world. You can also add some toothbrushes.
• Practice random act of kindness. Surprise a stranger in a car in a parking lot or a neighbor with a candy and a note that says, “Have a sweet day!”

By freezing, creating a teaching opportunity or donating, you can quickly get rid of your extra Halloween candy with style. Thus, even though it ‘twas the day after Halloween, and the temptation was there, you followed these three tips and did not despair.

Martha Henze

MS, RD, Traveling Taste Buds, LLC