As you know, children with diabetes can celebrate Halloween, just like other kids.
However, parents with little ones need to do a little extra planning to make sure their child has a happy and healthy Halloween.
We offer a few tips and tricks to handle your little ones’ loot:
- Plan ahead with your child so they know what to expect. Consider (if they are old enough) involving your child in a plan for what to do with the extra candy. Finding a great cause to donate the candy to such as a local hospital, community organization or troops overseas will make your child feel good about their decision.
- Participate in an activity that doesn’t entirely focus on Trick-or-Treating for the night. Host your own Halloween party and do other activities such as play games, or do arts and crafts. Make a d-friendly Halloween treat or snack together. Look for local activities such as hayrides, haunted houses, and costume contests to participate in.
- Give your child the option to “trade-in” their candy for other things such as a small toy, a night out to their favorite restaurant, or any other activity they enjoy.
- Limit the number of houses you and your child visit on Halloween night.
- Encourage your friends and neighbors to hand out stickers, pencils, or small toys instead of candy. Start the trend by handing out these alternatives at your house first.
- Make sure you have a healthy dinner before you head out for the night.
- Have your child pick out their favorite candy and get rid of the rest. For the stash they have decided to save, put them in a special location and use once in a while as a treat or to treat lows.
- Divide the extra in servings of 15g carbohydrate, and check the nutrition labels before consuming them. Make sure the candy is factored into your child’s meal plan.
- Most importantly, have fun with your little one!
Here is a useful guide for candy to carbohydrate ratio from the Joslin Diabetes Center:
Candy equal to about 15 grams of carbohydrate:
- One fun-size chocolate bar
- 11 candy corns
- 4 Starbursts
- One-half stick Twix
- 2 sticks Kit Kat
- 30 Reese’s Pieces
- 1/2 pack of M&Ms, plain or peanut
- 1 piece of Fruit-by-the-Foot
- 6 Hi-C gummy fruits
- 5 LifeSaver Gummy Savers
- 3 Twizzlers
- 3 Tootsie Rolls (small)
- 6 Junior Mints
- 16 Good & Plenty’s
- 15 Skittles
- 9 Sweettarts
- 2 Jolly Ranchers
- 1 Tootsie Pop
Also, check out our article on Halloween Candy Carb Counts.
Sources:
- “Halloween Party.” Retrieved from: https://www.joslin.org/phs/halloween_party.html
- “Halloween and Diabetes.” 2012. University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Retrieved from: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/PedEndocrine/Diabetes/HalloweenandDiabetes.pdf