Originally written 10/18/2009, Updated by Dana Carpender on 10/16/24

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How to Have a Fun & Healthy Low-Carb Halloween

Welcome to the CarbSmart Podcast, where your decision to embrace low carb nutrition becomes a fun and delicious lifestyle. I’m your host, Dana Carpender, here to guide you through the ins and outs of everything low-carb. Autumn and Halloween is approaching as inexorably as a horror movie monster. So, let’s talk about the scariest thing about Halloween.

All that sugar.

Several years back on a website I frequented, there was a discussion of Halloween plans. It was there that I first encountered the concept of trunk or treat, a Halloween event that is apparently gaining popularity across the country.

People dress their kids up in costumes, pack candy in their cars, and go to a pre-designated parking lot. There the children run from car to car, collecting candy. Call me a fossil, as I record this. I’m about two months away from my 66th birthday. But this seems entirely wrong-headed to me. It takes all the spooky fun and all the exercise out of trick or treating, while leaving all the sugar.

Indeed, it reinforces the idea that the best thing, the most important thing, the most fun thing about Halloween is the candy. Yeah, yeah, all of you twenty and thirty somethings are rolling your eyes at yet another old person saying when I was your age. Please bear with me. My best. My brightest Halloween memories do not have to do with candy, although I was certainly a little sugar junkie.

They have to do with the excitement of being out after dark, running door to door, fallen leaves, crackling underfoot, seeing the Halloween decorations at each house, ringing, doorbells, shouting, trick, or treat the repeated oowing and ahhing over our costumes. But Dana, you protest, it’s a different world.

It’s too dangerous to let our kids do that. Actually, uh, according to the reports I keep reading, there is no more stranger-crime against children today than there was in my childhood. Though, of course, tragically, family abuse remains. It’s the reporting of crime, thanks to the 24-hour news cycle, and therefore the perception of crime that has drastically increased.

How about poisoned candy? Ignoring entirely that the candy itself is poison, not a single case of Halloween candy poisoning has ever been verified. And what’s to keep some madman from bringing poison candy to Trunk or Treat? None of this reassurance matters a whit if no one in your neighborhood participates in Trick or Treat anymore.

Healthy Low-Carb Halloween for Kids & Adults

No use sending your little goblins to houses where no one is prepared. Well, jeez then, Dana, why’d you bring it up? Because it’s clear that Halloween traditions in this country are in flux and have yet to settle on a new form. This means that you have input into what the new traditions will be. I’m hoping I can encourage you in a direction of change.

Other than trunk or treat, my vote would be a return to the Halloween party with spooky games and music and at least some non-candy food. Read ghost stories by firelight, hang apples from strings and see who can eat theirs without using their hands, carve jack o lanterns, have a scary laugh contest and a costume judging with lots of prizes, scariest, prettiest, funniest, most creative, etc.

The more kids get prizes, the better. If you have space, how about creating a haunted path in your backyard? I have a big backyard with a path through the woods that would be perfect for this. Alas, I have no children. The drawback to this is that private parties are invitation only events, and some kids could get left out.

This is a great reason for organizations, from scout troops to neighborhood associations, to create their own Everybody Welcome Halloween events. If you’re still in a trick or treating part of the country, may I make a few gentle suggestions? Focus as much attention as you can on the many fun and creative Halloween activities that don’t involve sugar.

Help your kids make their own costumes. Decorate your house. Make styrofoam tombstones with funny epitaphs for the front lawn. We did this. It’s super easy. Go to the library and take out a recording of haunted house sounds or find some online and download them. Stream them. Watch some spooky movies with an eye to the movie’s scare and violence level and your kid’s ages, of course.

Make the fun about something more than sugar. Consider handing out something other than candy. My sister, a teacher, has been known to buy little prizes in bulk at the teacher’s supply store to hand out for trick or treat, and she reports that the kids like them. You can get similar things at OrientalTrading.com.

Handfuls of pennies have been reported to go over well, so have individual packets of peanuts. Back when I lived in a trick or treating neighborhood, out here in the country, I’ve never seen a single trick or treater. Too few houses with too much space between them. I would let kids grab a double handful from a basket of peanuts in the shell.

Believe it or not, kids generally exclaimed, Ooh, peanuts! Not, hey lady, where’s the candy? You’ll want to have an alternative for the peanut allergic kids, of course. Do not do what Dr. Sinclair, my childhood dentist and next door neighbor, did, and hand out toothbrushes. A sure way to get egged and T.P.’ed both.

If you do give out candy, buy candy you don’t care for. Don’t get your own particular kryptonite. For instance, if I were giving out candy, that chance, I’d consider Twizzlers, Chuckles, or Candy Corn, none of which I’ve ever liked. This way, you’re far less likely to binge between trick or treaters. If you foolishly insist on buying your own favorite candy for trick or treat, buy the minimum you can get away with.

I’ve known plenty of moms to give into a candy binge as a consequence of, oh, I have to make sure I have enough, leading to bags and bags of leftover Snickers bar. If you do wind up with leftover candy, take it to work and leave it in the break room. Lay in a modest stash of sugar-free candy. I generally have this both sugar free Reese’s and Russell Stover’s Sugar-Free English Toffee in the house.

Having your own treats will help keep you away from the kids goodie bags. The laxative qualities of sugar-free candy will prevent your pigging out on it. If you’re concerned about your kid’s sugar intake, and you should be, consider having a talk with them in advance about some sort of strategy to minimize damage.

Low-Carb Halloween Costumes — Photo by Conner Baker on Unsplash

Perhaps you could have them choose their five or ten favorite kinds of candy and anything not on that list goes in the trash. Maybe you could freeze most of their haul and dole it out over the winter piece by piece, but please don’t let them simply devour it all in a few days time.

And have a super fun and spooky Halloween.

What do you do for Halloween? What’s your favorite part of the holiday? What are your favorite Halloween memories?
Let us know in the comments below.

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Until next time, stay low carb, happy, and healthy.

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