4 Things I'm Doing For Halloween...and 1 Major Control I'm Giving Up

I don’t love Halloween - sorry, I know, downer over here. But here's the thing - I don't love a costume and knowing all the sugar my kids are about to consume really is enough to make me want to just turn all the house lights off and pretend it isn't happening…

Anyway, I was recently reading this article on Division of Responsibility in feeding children. If you don't want to devour the whole thing like I did, the basic idea is that you (as the parent, guardian, caregiver, etc.) lead the what, when, and where of feeding and your child determines how much  and whether to eat what's presented to them. The idea is that by giving your child both freedom and responsibility in eating times, you begin to teach them to trust themselves, listen to their bodies, and ultimately develop a healthy relationship with food. Makes a lot of sense…and in a home where we talk, talk, talk about food a lot, I want to make sure to be careful to avoid micromanaging what they eat.

In the past couple years, I've taken all the paths on Halloween candy - doling it out individually, letting them choose a random number of pieces, throwing it away, etc. but this year, I've decided to take a different approach and that is that I plan to give my girls freedom with their Halloween candy - it's theirs and they can be responsible for how much and whether to eat it. My hope is that by giving them permission to eat their Halloween candy as they please I will help encourage a healthy food relationship and some listening to their bodies.

In full transparency, my kids have never been given full control over a candy stash before, so I fully expect them to eat more than they should and probably walk away with a stomach ache, but that's ok! With continued communication and experiences, they will begin to make the connection between what they eat and how they feel and their ability and desire to listen to their bodies will kick in.

That being said, here are some things I am going to be controlling when it comes to a healthy and positive Halloween experience:

• What we eat for dinner tonight before they trick or teat - I know that a full belly will likely lead to less candy consumed. So I'm going to try to serve a meal I know they like to ensure they'll be eating something beforehand.

• How many houses we'll trick or treat at - since our kids are still young, we can decide ahead of time how many houses we'll go to which will equate with how much candy they end up with in their bags.

• How we talk about candy - simply engaging with them in conversation about candy instead of talking about it negatively, i.e. asking them what their favorite piece of candy is and telling them mine or asking them to describe the candy they're eating (taste, texture, etc.) and staying away from negative food-talk.

• Our regularly scheduled programming - it's the day-to-day habits that truly make a difference so continuing to serve healthy meals and snacks on a regular basis will be more beneficial to them in the long-run than micromanaging their candy stash.

We'll see how this approach goes tonight and who knows? Maybe we'll even use our candy as an opportunity for a sorting/counting learning game? Do I get extra mom points for that?

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

6 Great Children's Books About Food & Nutrition

We love books…and I love when a book is not only fun to read but also teachable. As a dietitian and a mom, I’m always looking for opportunities to teach my girls about good food and nutrition without it feeling like I’m giving them a lecture or obsessing about healthy food (we already do a lot of talking about food).

I’ve honestly come across quite a few books about food and nutrition that are geared toward kids but frankly just not great but every once in awhile you find a gem - like The Food Parade that I stumbled upon in the library and then promptly ordered from Amazon (not widely available in hard-cover but you can get it in an electronic version for Kindle or iPad) - and since I’m all about sharing, I’d love to share some of our favorites with you.

The Fruits We Eat by Gail Gibbons - This book is all about fruits and when you’re trying to teach little ones about the different food groups and their role, hyper-focusing can be key. This book talks about how different types of fruits are grown in different climates and places and shares information about growing, processing, and preparing fruit in a clear, understandable way. And the takeaway message is this: fruits in ALL forms (fresh, frozen, canned, etc.) are delicious, nutritious, and help kids expand their palettes.

Carrots Like Peas by Hannah Eliot - This one comes from an awesome series of “Did You Know?” books. It’s so well laid out, with great illustrations and tons of facts about food that will fascinated curious little people. This is a definite favorite.

The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons - The companion book to The Fruits We Eat, this one is all about vegetables - where they come from, how we get them, and why we eat them. Again, a great take-home message that vegetables are for everybody, everywhere.

The Food Parade by Elicia Castaldi - I’ve searched and searched for the hard-back copy of this book after checking it out from the public library. The best I could find was a used copy on Amazon but mostly it looks like it’s not in print and just in e-book version. No matter what version you choose though, this book is gold. It looks at the food groups in a way that is clear, fun, and it has the cutest illustrations. I love this one.

Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat - A book kids find hilarious - perfect for the school classroom. Gregory the goat has a terrible diet according to his parents - he wants to eat fruits and vegetables while his parents want him to eat trash like rubber tires, shoelaces, and cardboard. Such a cute book that kids will love.

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food - We love the Berenstain Bears series (what’s not to love?) and there are so many awesome lessons to be learned in their series. In this one, Papa, Brother, and Sister who are eating too much junk food. Mama and Dr. Grizzly attempt to help them understand the importance of nutritious foods and exercise.