Relish the taste of pumpkin. Pumpkins are delicious, seasonal, and healthy-especially when you enjoy them in a form other than pie! You can make your own pumpkin bread with whole grain flour, or try pumpkin waffles, smoothies, yogurt-even pumpkin soup! Eating pumpkin seeds is a great way to boost your nutrient intake during the day! Roast the seeds you clean out while carving jack-o-lanterns and munch on them as a snack.
Step away from the candy dish. Countless studies (and personal experiences) have shown that when food is in proximity, people are more likely to eat it. Next time you find yourself at the store/office/school/church, notice where the candy dishes and sugary foods are, then step away. Situate yourself where these foods are out of reach and out of sight. Soon enough, you'll be in deep conversation with a friend and will have completely forgotten about the dish you're trying to avoid!
Meet your goals on the 31st. On Halloween, focus on meeting all of your goals all day long. It may be a treat-focused holiday, but you can (and should) treat it like any other day-not as a chance to give up on your goals. Eat breakfast, work out, track your foods and cook your favorite healthy meal for dinner. You'll be so pumped up about making healthful decisions all day that you'll be less likely to cave in to candy later. But make sure you don't fall into the "I've been good and need a reward" mindset, which can backfire (especially if that reward is food or candy).
Bring your own treat while your kids play tricks. While walking with the kids from door to door, bring a healthy drink or snack with you. You'll be able to log some good steps on your pedometer and avoid reaching into the kids' bags. Hot tea, coffee, or warm apple cider will keep your hands busy and take a long time to finish due to their warm temperature. Even a munchy snack like edamame or homemade salt-free trail mix are all suitable options for a trick-or-treat take along.
Monitor your perspective. During Halloween, stores feature candy more prominently, but that same candy is available year-round. Keep repeating to yourself, "Candy is not a prized treat that only comes around once every 365 days." This will help you ditch the feeling that you need to "load up" on Halloween goodies while the opportunity lasts. Candy will always be there, and if you really want some on Halloween or any day, you could have some. The less emphasis you place on the candy, the less control it will have over your cravings. Do you really WANT candy right now or did you not even think about candy until you saw it on the shelf? Probably the latter.
Allow yourself to enjoy the holiday. A healthy diet is one that includes fun foods like candy in moderation. Choose a special treat to enjoy on Halloween and enjoy it!
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