An evening of Halloween fun can easily turn into a weeklong war on your waistline. It isn't hard to overindulge when those bite-size candies seem so harmless. But I have some simple tricks to help you curb your cravings and keep Halloween from scaring you off the scale.
The worst thing you can do is skimp on food all day to save room for candy—you're just setting yourself up for a diet slipup. Before you head out trick-or-treating with your kids, fill up with a satisfying 200- to 250-calorie snack. My favorite picks are peanut butter on a slice of whole-grain bread, a veggie burger on an English muffin, or a bowl of low-sodium canned soup. The combination of complex carbs and protein will keep you from scarfing down a handful of Kit Kats.
Once you've hit the streets with your costumed kids, limit yourself to just a few of your favorite treats. If you're really craving M&Ms, it's OK to have a few! You can enjoy a few without damaging your diet. But pace yourself and have just one piece of candy every couple of blocks.
Think you know what to reach for when a Halloween craving hits? My diet-friendly picks might surprise you. View the slideshow.
Many moms say the hardest part of Halloween comes after trick-or-treating, when you're surrounded by pillowcases stuffed with your kids' candy. If you're worried about gorging on leftover Mars bars, put those pillowcases straight into the freezer. This will force you to savor each piece slowly. And in a moment of weakness, it's not so easy to gobble down frozen treats without chipping a tooth.
