Trick-or-Treat?

Instead of the usual Halloween treats, consider dropping healthier choices or non-food items into the child’s bag.  Consider pre-packaged bags of carrots or apples.  You can visit the Dollar Store to load up on pencils, erasers, stickers, small yo-yos, plastic rings, and whistles.  

Halloween is a tradition kids (and adults) look forward to.  But there is often a battle over eating all the candy.  Put limits on the amount of candy you eat on Halloween and over the days following.  Establish a plan BEFORE you begin the evening's activities, advance understanding will help avoid disappointments.  Then, put the candy out of sight where there won't be the daily reminder.  In the days ahead, simply allow a piece or two and eventually the candy bowl will be forgotten.  Another good option is hold out a few favorite pieces and donate the rest to senior living centers or children’s homes. 

Eat dinner before setting out for the night’s festivities to avoid filling up on candy. 

On Halloween, Practice Safety

Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries, walk in groups, only trick-or-treat in your neighborhood or one that you know and only at homes that have the porch light on, stay on sidewalks on well-lit streets, walk facing traffic if your neighborhood does not have sidewalks, do not cut across lawns or go down alleys, and stay at the door for your treat.  Make sure children know their home phone number and how to dial for help. Remind your teenagers to be even more cautious driving through the neighborhood and community, and check all treats before eating - discarding all opened or suspicious items.  

Time to Practice or Compete

When it's time to practice or play, you'll get energy from the foods you've been eating all week. But it's still a good idea to eat well on that day. If you're going to eat a meal, have it 1 1/2 to 3 hours before practice or game time. If you have a full stomach, your body will need to spend energy digesting food, leaving less for you to use in your game or practice.

But you don't want to be hungry either. Bring a snack, especially for long practices, competitions, or all-day events. Half a sandwich, fresh or dried fruit, or a small handful of nuts are all good snacks. Sports bars, or energy bars, are convenient, but they aren't necessary for athletes. You can get the same energy from healthy foods.

Avoid sugary stuff like sodas or candy bars right before you practice or compete. You might get a little energy boost, but it will fade fast leaving you feeling drained. But eating and drinking the right stuff will help you play your best. Now, go out there and have a great season!

CDC website for Body and Mind for kids

Fuel Up for Fun

Whether you hit the court, the field, the track, the rink, or your back yard to get some physical activity, you'll need some fuel to keep you going!

Here are some great snacks to munch on to keep your body movin' and your stomach silent:

• Fresh veggies like carrots and celery sticks
• Snack-sized boxes of raisins
• Pretzels
• Low-fat yogurt
• Crackers — try graham crackers, animal crackers, or saltines
• Bagels
• Fig bars
• Fruit juice boxes (make sure you choose 100% pure fruit juice, or for an added boost, try orange juice with added calcium)
• Small packages of trail mix
• Fresh fruits such as bananas, oranges, grapes (try freezing your grapes for a new taste sensation!), and berries

And remember that no matter what type of physical activity you do, you should always be sure to drink plenty of water — before you start, during the activity, and after you're done, even if you don't feel thirsty.