Let Your Kids Eat All the Halloween Candy They Want
Letting your kids participate in the sugar-free Snicker wrapper for free on October 31st may seem like irresponsible parenting, but it turns out that not controlling your child’s candy intake can teach them to listen to their hunger signals.
It may sound counterintuitive, but limiting your intake of Reese’s pumpkin can do more harm than good. When Amanda Shapiro of Bon Appetit asked Chartered Nutritionist Emily Fonnesbeck about her views on the topic, she was surprised to find that Fonnesbeck allowed her children to travel to the city (within reason):
“Parents are tempted to believe that if they tell their children what to do with the candy, their children will do it and become healthier,” she says. But apparently it doesn’t work. She explained that children will not learn to listen to their own hunger signals if you constantly tell them what and when to eat. “They either limit or they have everything.”
Doesn’t that mean you should be idle while your little Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or Elsa are current costumes? – inhale the boxes of nerds. Vossenbeck suggests asking questions that encourage children to listen to their bodies, such as, “How do you feel about these candy?” and “What would you do differently next time?” promote intuitive eating.
Also remember that Halloween is supposed to be fun . One night of wild sugar consumption will not ruin their existence. Just don’t let them get too crazy about candy corn, because candy corn is trash and they should eat better candy.
Why You Should Let Your Kids Have As Much Halloween Candy As They Want | Bon appetit