Friday, October 26, 2012

A Healthy Halloween is Possible with Healthy Treats

It’s hard to think of Halloween as a holiday to practice healthy eating habits. However, Halloween is a great time to set a good example and remember moderation is one key to a healthy diet according.

Some examples of Halloween treats that are healthy are apples, small boxes of raisins, individual bags of snack mix or pretzels, stickers, Halloween puzzles or pencils.

Make sure your child eats a healthy meal before they go trick-or-treating. The meal can be festive but children need to have a good meal before going out.

After getting treats, balance, variety and moderation are keys to healthful eating.

Let your children choose a few pieces of candy to have on Halloween night and then choose a few pieces each day after that.

Another thing to remember (when all of the Halloween candy is in the house) is that sugary foods contribute to tooth decay.

In the mouth, there are bacteria. These bacteria like to eat sugar and that produces an acid. That acid is what eats away at teeth causing cavities.

Children will be consuming sugar on Halloween so encourage them to brush their teeth often.

For more information on nutrition issues, go online to http://extension.missouri.edu or contact one of the nutrition and health education specialists working in the Ozarks: Christeena Haynes, in Dallas County, (417) 345-7551; Dr. Lydia Kaume in Barton County, (417) 682-3579; or Dr. Pam Duitsman, in Springfield, (417) 886-2059.

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