Halloween Doesn't Have To Be So Scary

A friend of mine was telling me that she made a deal with her husband that she would go Trick or Treating with the kids, and he would stay home and dish out treats so she wouldn't be tempted by the candy. I wanted to ask her -- but didn't -- why she wouldn't be tempted by the 75,000 different kinds of candy her kids would be getting when they rang every door in the neighborhood ...

But if you do have the happy chore of taking the kids out, here are a few ideas that might make it a little easier for you to resist temptation:

Don't go out hungry! A healthy family dinner before Trick or Treating will help everyone resist the urge to dig right into the treats.

Take a healthy treat for yourself, like an apple, a 100-calorie pouch, or a bag of popcorn, so you'll have something to munch on while everyone else is eating candy. Popcorn is especially good because you can munch on it all though the neighborhood and not do much damage.

Or chew sugarless gum. It keeps your mouth busy and doesn't mix well with candy.

When you get home, immediately fix yourself a cup of Really Good Hot Chocolate or hot tea or coffee sweetened with your sweetner of choice.

While you're drinking your hot chocolate, let another adult supervise the children's candy. After the kids pick out a few things they want, put the remainder of the candy away and gradually dole it out later. If necessary, have the other adult hide it (from you and/or the kids -- whoever is the sneakiest) or ask a neighbor take it home and dole it out for you.

Finally, if you've been good all evening, reward yourself with one or two small treats. Most mini bars are only 1-2 points and, after all, it IS Halloween!