I finally just got rid of all the Christmas candy and cookies and then BOOM, Valentine’s Day arrives and I’m stuck with buckets of candy once again.  And then it’s Easter and before we know it Halloween again! While the events that bring the candy are exciting and build memories for both parents and children, having mountains of candy around can be overwhelming. 

As a Dietitian and mom of two small children, I try to keep an eye on how much added sugar my kids are exposed to, but the reality is that it’s challenging to avoid, if not impossible, for many families, including my own.  Instead of restricting the loads of candy that make it home, we spread it out in a variety of ways to make it not so overwhelming. 

Initially, we let our children have as much of the holiday candy that they want when they bring it home or on the day of the holiday.  Always make sure to take out anything that your child may be allergic to or is considered a choking hazard.  I recommend taking the Thrive Training Institute online CPR course, as well as their Choking Prevention and Response course so you know what to do when it matters most.  Use code ALEX10 for $10 off. 

After the kids and I have enjoyed what we wanted, we put it in one bag and tuck it away so it’s out of sight and to be honest, eventually forget about it.  What happens next is typically distributed throughout the six suggestions below once we remember it’s still there.  

Offer candy with meals and snacks casually 

Shielding your child from candy for their entire life would be quite exhausting and frankly, unrealistic.  That’s why it’s important to help them learn how to handle sweets, treats, and desserts on any occasion – especially when you’re not around.  Offering the extra holiday candy lying around casually with meals will help minimize the novelty that society has assigned to these foods. This is my recommended approach.

I know this may sound a bit counter-intuitive – offer candy with meals?  But the point is for them to eat less candy?  How does this make sense? Research shows that children eat LESS dessert when it is served with the meal when compared to children served dessert after the meal (Huss et al., 2013)

Your child will inevitably enjoy candy more than other foods, but we can help them learn how to incorporate it in a balanced way so they do not obsess over it, constantly request it, or overeat it when it is available. For more information on how to offer candy with meals successfully, take the Managing Mealtimes Course for Picky Eaters and check out the Desserts with Meals module.  

Toss the candy out

Depending on how you feel about food waste, you could certainly toss the leftover candy in the trash.  This idea may make you cringe if you absolutely can’t stand the idea of food waste, but I challenge you to take a slightly different perspective for just a second.  We toss, sometimes recycle, our kid’s art projects all the time, so why not candy?  If we can view the candy as an experience that we were able to enjoy for a bit, then sacrifice some of it to the trash, we can get beyond the little bit of food waste we experience.  You also don’t have to toss it out.  There are still a few more options for you – keep reading!

Donate leftover candy 

Donating your leftover holiday candy is not only a great way to get it out of your house, but also helps your children get involved with giving back – even if it is with candy!  There are several places where you can donate your candy too.  This can also be a great opportunity to get involved with your local school district and put together a program where a large group of students can get involved. 

• Treats for Troops 
• Halloween Candy Buy Back
• Dentist office 
• Nursing homes and long term care communities

Use candy for an art project

Instead of viewing candy as something you eat, what if you used it as another item to create art with?  You can keep this as simple as gluing candy to a piece of paper, or as fancy as dying a t-shirt using fun hard candies.  However, your child will likely snack on a few candies here and there throughout the art project.  Try not to worry about this too much and focus on enjoying the process with them.

Use leftover candy in a recipe 

Leftover candy like M&Ms and other chocolates are great to use in baked goods that you can enjoy making together.  While this may seem like you’re just swapping one sugar-laden item for another, try and focus on the memories you’re creating with your child, as well as the cooking skills they’re gaining throughout the process.  Not the added sugar and mess that will be made. 

Save candy for the next holiday

Sometimes you can get away with saving candy for the next holiday or if you’re me, you need to use your child’s Halloween candy from school for the trick or treaters later that night because you didn’t buy enough.  

You don’t have to stress out about all the candy your child is exposed to throughout the year, but instead, find ways to balance it all out.  Between offering casually with meals, donating some, or taking leftovers to work and using them in art projects, there are plenty of options that will help you feel more comfortable and minimize how much your kids actually end up eating.  To help your child learn how to have a healthy relationship with candy, as well as other treats, desserts, and novelty foods, grab my FREE End the Obsession guide and start implementing strategies today!