Who can resist candy, chocolate, pumpkin carving, and dressing up in your favorite costume? It’s no wonder kids (and most adults) love Halloween. But, for parents of trick or treaters, the vast amount of Halloween candy can be a problem.

Here are some tips for handling Halloween treats from HealthyKids.org (http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/candy-hints.html)

• Before kids go trick-or-treating, try to serve a healthy meal so they’re not hungry when the candy starts coming in.
• Know how much candy your child has collected and don’t store it in his or her bedroom. Having it so handy can be an irresistible temptation for many kids.
• Consider being somewhat lenient about candy eating on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy will be handled. Candy and snacks shouldn’t get in the way of kids eating healthy meals.
• If a child is overweight — or you’d just like to reduce the Halloween stash — consider buying back some or all of the remaining Halloween candy. This acknowledges the candy belongs to the child and provides a treat in the form of a little spending money.
• Be a role model by eating Halloween candy in moderation yourself. To help avoid temptation, buy your candy at the last minute and get rid of any leftovers.
• Encourage your kids to be mindful of the amount of candy and snacks eaten — and to stop before they feel full or sick.

You also can offer some alternatives to candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to your door. Here are some treats you might give out:

• non-food treats, like stickers, toys, temporary tattoos, false teeth, little bottles of bubbles and small games, like tiny decks of cards (party-supply stores can be great sources for these)
• snacks such as small bags of pretzels, sugar-free gum, trail mix, small boxes of raisins, and popcorn
• sugar-free candy
• small boxes of cereal

Happy Halloween!