Tricks for allowing treats in a balanced diet

I admit it. This is the week I tend to justify having several bags of candy in my shopping cart ... even though the trick-or-treaters at my house are few and far between. You just never know when a big crowd might show up.

And yes, I know I don't have to give out candy on Halloween. There are reasonable alternatives such as pencils, erasers and stickers. I have found, however, that these items are not near as fun to nibble on between rings of the doorbell.

And what about kids? Is there a way to help them enjoy this treat-filled holiday without taking in a ghoulish amount of fat, sugar and calories? Maybe. Here are some frightfully easy ideas adapted from those at www.mealsmatter.org, a Web site supported by the California Dairy Council:

1. Eat before you treat. Serve your child a balanced meal before the festivities begin. That may help them not to get tricked by too many treats.

2. Set some limits. Discuss with children in advance what a reasonable amount of Halloween candy will be and how many houses they are permitted to haunt. At the end of the evening, discuss with them how they may divide up their loot over the next several days.

3. Teach moderation. Overly restrictive rules around candy and other fun foods can backfire and make those foods even more desirable to kids. (Kids hiding or sneaking food behind your back is one clue.) Show children that sweets and dessert can be included in moderate amounts (when you say so) as part of a healthy diet.

4. Spread it out. Allow kids a few pieces of trick-or-treat candy for dessert after lunch or dinner. Or include a piece or two with more healthful snacks, such as string cheese, vegetables with dip, trail mix, yogurt or a glass of milk.

5. Be a good role model. Junior may not give a boo for self restraint if he sees Mom or Dad finish off a bag of Snickers bars.

6. Show balance. According to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthful diet plans that meet all our nutritional recommendations still have room for some "discretionary calories" — additional foods with fat and sugar. For most of us, though, that's only about an extra 150 to 200 calories per day. That may be a reasonable daily limit for Halloween candy.

7. Make an edible scarecrow! Holiday fun doesn't have to revolve entirely around junk food. Set out fresh or dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, cheese, vegetables, cheese and other foods for kids. Offer a prize for the "healthiest" scarecrow made from the various food groups.

Finally, registered dietitian and child nutrition expert Ellyn Satter has this to say about Halloween treats for kiddos: "Your child needs to learn to manage sweets and to keep them in proportion to the other food he eats. The key is to relegate candy to meal and snack times. Maintain the structure of meals and sit-down snacks, with parents retaining their leadership role in choosing the rest of the food that goes on the table. With that kind of structure and foundation, candy won't spoil a child's diet or make him too fat."

That holds for us grown-ups, too. Happy Halloween!

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California.