On the evening of October 31, the little “monsters” come home with bags filled to the brim, and for many parents, this is where the headache begins: should we hide it all? Limit everything? Good news: it’s possible to enjoy the holiday while helping our children develop a healthy relationship with candy. Here are a few tips for managing it better.
Candies, yes, but without the drama
The first reflex to adopt: talk about candy as one food among others. Nutritionists suggest avoiding labelling foods as “good” or “bad,” or calling them “junk,” because this vocabulary can trigger guilt, and what is presented as forbidden often becomes even more appealing to a child.
Excessive control also backfires. When candy is hidden or used as a reward, a child may eat too much of it out of fear of running out later. Conversely, when candy is neither forbidden nor demonized, children learn to self-regulate, which contributes to a healthy relationship with food.
And let’s not forget that Halloween isn’t only about sugar! We can encourage children to notice everything else: the decorations, the costumes, the seasonal produce. Highlighting these other aspects of the holiday makes candy less central. Carving a pumpkin together, roasting the seeds or making a “witch’s soup” are all ways to create family traditions that showcase local products.
Before and during the haul
A few simple steps can make a big difference. CHU Sainte-Justine suggests serving a light meal before heading out and choosing smaller bags. You can also set a clear rule before the round: no treats are eaten along the way. Sorting will happen at home, in good light and as a family
The big sort at home
Sorting is a great moment to involve children. Together, set aside the risky candies, then let your child choose their favourites. It is also recommended to remove any candy that is opened or damaged.
On the night itself, no panic: you can enjoy a few candies with your child, reminding them that they’ll still have some tomorrow and in the days to come, so there’s no need to eat everything at once.
And in the days that follow?
Rather than leaving the bag as a free-for-all, you can build candy into the routine. For example, offer it in place of the usual dessert in the days after Halloween, or put a few pieces in the middle of the table so that all foods are presented on an equal footing.
Some families like to provide a simple, predictable structure. One nutritionist suggests that each child have their own treat box, from which they choose between 0 and 6 candies each day, for example as an afternoon snack or after lunch, avoiding the evening. That way, the child keeps some responsibility for their choices.
Too many left over? Think about sharing! Extra treats can be offered to neighbours or donated to a food bank or community centre in your area. Some families also call on the “Switch Witch,” who replaces the candy with a small toy overnight. Once your child has selected the candy to give away, plan a trip to the store so they can choose their toy.
Watch out for allergens
For families living with food allergies, Halloween calls for extra vigilance. According to Health Canada, the most common allergens in treats are peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, milk and eggs.
One important trap: small sizes. Allergies Québec reminds us that confectionery sold in individual (bite-sized) formats may be exempt from the requirement to display an ingredient list; in multi-packs, the list appears on the main bag, but not necessarily on each small wrapper, for lack of space. Health Canada recommends avoiding treats with no ingredient list or bearing a “May contain” statement for an allergen that affects your child. Another point to remember: a candy’s composition can change from one year to the next, and can even vary depending on the package size.
If your child has an epinephrine auto-injector, make sure they have it on hand every time they eat treats. And if you want to help make the celebration more inclusive, the #MaCitrouilleTurquoise movement, supported by Allergies Québec, invites you to display a teal pumpkin to signal that you also offer non-food goodies such as stickers or pencils.
Watch out for choking hazards
For toddlers, certain candies pose a real danger. The INSPQ specifies that up to age 4, hard candies, lozenges, chewing gum, peanuts and nuts still present a choking risk, with hard, small, round, smooth or sticky foods being particularly risky. Health Canada advises removing gum, peanuts, hard candies and small toys from young children’s bags.
How children eat matters too: those under two are the most at risk, but the danger exists at any age, and eating while running, playing, jumping or talking increases it. So we sit down to enjoy our treats, under an adult’s watchful eye.
Or, for fun with no risk, no added sugar and no guilt, check out our homemade candy recipe.
Happy Halloween to all families!
Sources :
- Cuisinons en famille, « 4 conseils pour une saine gestion des bonbons d’Halloween »
- Naître et grandir, « Les bonbons : les réponses à vos questions » et « Halloween : être raisonnable… ou pas? »
- Clinique Altitude Nutrition, « Halloween – Comment naviguer les bonbons avec son enfant »
- ICI (France Bleu), entrevue avec la nutritionniste Céline Da Silva
- CHU Sainte-Justine, Promotion de la santé, fiche sur l’Halloween
- Nutritionnistes en pédiatrie, « Halloween et allergies alimentaires »
- Allergies Québec, « Allergies alimentaires et Halloween : comment identifier les friandises à risque », « L’Halloween en toute sécurité, même pour l’enfant allergique » et « Bonbons maison sans allergènes prioritaires »
- Allergies alimentaires Canada, page Halloween
- Jean Coutu, « Célébrer l’Halloween sans avoir peur… des allergies! »
- Santé Canada, « Salubrité des aliments offerts à l’Halloween » et avis « Sécurité à l’Halloween »
- INSPQ, Mieux vivre avec notre enfant, « Risques d’étouffement – à surveiller jusqu’à 4 ans »
- Ville de Winnipeg, conseils de sécurité pour l’Halloween