All the parents to whom I asked the question admitted to me that it was a puzzle, and even sometimes, a source of anguish to see so many sweets in the hands of their loved ones.
Let’s get things straight straight away. There’s no point in banning sweets. Remember that interest is born out of the forbidden. If we forbid our child to eat candy, well, we are only feeding his desire. To fully enjoy Halloween with your family and better manage the candy you collect, try these tips.
Create a diversion!
Halloween is more than candy! Instead of directing all the attention to the harvest, limit yourself to a few well-chosen, busiest and best-decorated streets, and then organize a home, or yard, scavenger hunt in the dark with a flashlight, hiding anything other than candy. The kids will love it!
Teach your child to be selective
On Halloween night, allow him to eat treats as he pleases. Then ask him to sort it out and keep only his favorites. It is he who chooses! There’s no point in keeping liquorice or caramels if he doesn’t like it. He can exchange them or give them away.
The art of tasting a candy
A candy does not swallow whole! To show him how to enjoy it, play this fun game: ask your child to imagine that you have lost your sense of taste and that he has to describe to you what his candy tastes like. Ask him questions, serious or wacky, to help him in his description. Is it sweet or sour? Hard or soft? Is it sparkling? Is it creamy? By tasting this way, your minis will be fully satisfied and the craving will magically fly away.
A dessert like any other
In the days following Halloween, these treats can replace desserts (yes, yes!) And gradually you can ask your child to choose between a dessert he likes very much and his treats. I bet if you bake him his favorite cookies, the candy will wait! The idea is to vary and not to put the candy on a pedestal.
Hide sweets? Especially not !
Should we hide the sweets? Especially not ! It automatically labels them in the prohibited category. Better to treat them like any other food, storing them in the pantry. Children will eventually lose interest. So don’t be surprised if you end up with some leftover candy. I also offer a recipe for chocolate bites to spend your leftover Halloween candy!
Rather than dressing up as a candy cop, dive into this happy party with your kids. And dear parents, you too have the right to taste sweets… without hiding! Why not ask your kids to guess which ones are your favorites?
Geneviève O’Gleman is host of the show Enjoy on ICI Télé and pilot the web magazine savourer.ca
Visit the Savourer website
Recipe: Chocolate and Halloween Candy Rocks
GIVE A SECOND LIFE TO YOUR SWEETS WITH THIS CRISPY TREAT! PHOTO SILVIE LI, PROVIDED BY O’GLEMAN MEDIA
Chocolate rocks recipe with Halloween candies
Give your sweets a second life with this crunchy treat!
Servings: 12
Preparation: 15 minutes
Rest: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 90 g (3 oz) or 125 ml (1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) natural almond butter *
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped Halloween candy **
- 250 ml (1 cup) textured vegetable protein (PVT) ***
Preperation
- 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a reusable baking sheet).
- 2. Coarsely chop chocolate and place in medium microwave-safe bowl. Add the almond butter.
- 3. Heat chocolate and almond butter for 1 minute or until chocolate is melted. To mix together.
- 4. Roughly chop the selected candies.
- 5. Add the candies and PVT to the bowl with the melted chocolate and toss to coat well.
- 6. Using a spoon, spread the mixture over the baking sheet to form 12 rocks.
- 7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container.
Keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator and does not freeze.
* For almond butter: in case of allergy, do not hesitate to replace it with another nut or soy butter.
** For the candies: use the leftover candies that your children will have collected on Halloween or any other candy of your choice: chocolate bars, jujubes, caramels, liquorice or chips, anything can go there.
*** For the textured vegetable protein (PVT): in this recipe, it is added as is, without cooking or rehydrating it. It provides crunch in addition to adding a dose of fiber and protein.
Nutritional values
- Calories: 124
- Protein: 6 g
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sodium: 8 mg