Weigh In: Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween Survival Guide

Are you haunted by Hersey’s? Do you have nightmares about nougat? I know. Halloween is a scary time of year. So I’ve compiled some tricks to keep your treats in check – during Halloween and after.

Wait until the night before or day of Halloween to buy candy. (This may be too late for some of you.) This way you’ll avoid the temptation of testing out the candies before the kiddos come knocking. Also – it may be on sale!

Buy candy you don’t really like. (Personally, I’ll still eat it anyway, but at least I won’t eat as much!)

Keep your inner demon in check.

Don’t just blindly tear into the candy bowl in a dark corner. Eat consciously. Take out several of your favorite and be aware of how many calories you’re consuming. Here’s a nifty candy calorie counter I found. It tells you how far you have to walk to burn off the candy you eat.

The Aftershocks
Just because you’ve made it through the night doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. You still have to fend off sugar attacks from home and work.

Shift through your child’s loot and keep only their favorite candies. Donate the rest.

Freeze it. A frozen Snickers will thwart your plans of wolfing down gobs of candy.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween – $17.99 of which on candy. That’s down from $66.54 last year. That means less excess. Which means your work won’t be overloaded with leftovers next week. (Looks like the dreary economy is actually good for something this year.)

Ask co-workers if it’s ok to put kitchen candy in a covered container so Milky Ways aren’t looking at you longingly as you get your morning coffee.

Bring in a healthier treat like Starbursts, peppermint patties or lollipops so you don’t feel totally left out while all your coworkers leave wrapper trails around the office.