With these helpful craving-fighting tips, there’s no reason to be scared of Halloween candy this year!
Halloween is the time of year where you can find candy pretty much anywhere.
It’s at work, it’s at your friends’ and families’ homes, there are multiple sections devoted to it in every grocery store…
The list goes on.
And as if reaching for a bite (or seven) isn’t hard enough to resist when you’re out and about, the real test begins when it’s time to stock up at home.
Making sure your little one gets to enjoy the candy they love is one of the best parts about Halloween, but when we have it around the house, it’s much easier for our sugar cravings to get the best of us.
If you have trouble staying away from the Halloween candy bowl, keep reading. We put this list of tips and tricks together to help you manage your cravings and preserve your dental health this spooky season.
1. Maintain a Healthy Eating Schedule
First and foremost, it’s crucial to keep up a regular eating schedule to keep your cravings at bay.
When you skip meals and snack frequently throughout the day, you’re leaving yourself open to potential food binges because you’re not getting the nutrition your body needs.
Eating regularly looks different for everybody, but especially during the holiday season, make sure you’re having balanced meals with plenty of protein throughout the day.
The fewer empty calories you take in, the better.
With a solid foundation of healthy nutrition, you’ll have a head-start in the fight against your Halloween candy cravings!
2. Stay Hydrated
When we’re thirsty, we can sometimes mistake our desire for water for food cravings.
Not to mention, although it gets absorbed much quicker into our bodies than food, water still takes up space in our stomachs.
So, whenever you get a hankering for Halloween candy, try drinking a tall glass of water first and give your body five to ten minutes to sort things out.
You might find that you were just thirsty all along!
3. Buy as Close to Halloween as You Can
If you’re no stranger to Halloween candy cravings, then you know that the longer you’re exposed to temptation, the harder it is to resist.
But luckily, you can control that exposure.
Try waiting to stock up until you absolutely need to this year. If the bulk of your candy goes to your neighborhood trick-or-treaters, why subject yourself to the temptation weeks in advance?
Giving yourself that extra breathing room will certainly help you manage your cravings this Halloween.
4. If Possible, Avoid Candy You Like
This tip may not always apply, but if it does, you could save yourself a whole lot of trouble.
If you and your little ones have different tastes in candy, that’s the perfect opportunity to avoid temptation altogether.
When you go to the store, you can pick up their favorites and leave yours on the shelf, so you don’t have to worry about fighting cravings every time you walk past the candy bowl or open the pantry.
5. Keep Healthy Snacks On Hand
The kids may be chowing down on Halloween candy for the next couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean you have to.
Building up a supply of healthy snacks in your kitchen is one of the best ways to defend against cravings.
Having other more filling foods to reach for, like fruit, nuts, cheese, etc., can help you defeat or at the very least put off those indulgent moments.
This tip can come in especially handy at work.
If you know you’ll be passing by the dreaded candy bowl throughout the day, preemptively attacking your cravings with a banana, some cashews, or whatever healthy snacks you enjoy can keep you satisfied and less likely to reach for any Halloween goodies.
6. Keep Your Halloween Candy in the Pantry
You know what they say: “Out of sight, out of mind.”
If Halloween is still around the corner, there’s no rule saying you have to have a bowl of candy out. Feel free to hide the candy in the deepest, darkest corner of your pantry until you need it.
You can still decorate the house for the holiday without the added stress of trying to avoid those delicious Reese’s pumpkins.
7. Sugar-Free Gum Can Help
When it comes to keeping those Halloween candy cravings at bay, don’t underestimate the power of gum.
As we’ve covered on our blog before, chewing sugar-free gum can not only fool your body into thinking that you’re eating, but the artificial sweeteners that it contains can give you that “sugar rush” you’re looking for.
So, the next time you feel those cravings coming on, grab a piece of gum instead!
8. Treat Yourself a Little
Sometimes all it takes to stave off cravings is to give into them a little bit.
Although it may not be the case for everybody, treating yourself regularly can be a big help during the spooky season.
If you trust yourself to dip your toe in without overindulging, leave a piece or two of candy out for yourself every now and then.
Of course, how often you do it is up to you. It could be once a week, once every couple of days, or even once a day!
Give it a shot and adjust the frequency based on how better or worse your cravings get. It might just be the solution you’re looking for!
9. Keep Track of How Much You Eat
If your cravings do get the best of you, it can be easy to throw all caution to the wind…
But there’s still a strategy that can help you minimize your intake.
Whenever you find yourself overindulging, don’t wrinkle up the wrappers and throw them away. Keep them out where you can see them so you can count how many pieces of candy you’ve had so far.
Seeing a visual representation of how much you’ve eaten can discourage you from continuing, helping put an end to any unwanted binges.
10. After Halloween, Remove the Temptation
After the spooky season is over, don’t be afraid to clean house.
As long as your little ones have all the candy they need, you can always get rid of the temptation entirely by giving your Halloween candy away to friends, family, or neighbors.
11. If You Do Give in, Don’t Beat Yourself Up
This tip is one of the most important items on our list today. It’s natural to get down on yourself when you give in to your cravings…
But be careful not to beat yourself up. It’ll only make things worse.
Every day is a new chance to start again and take control of your cravings. So, if you have a bad night, take some time to regroup and start the next day with a clean slate.
Bonus Tip: Stick to Your Daily Dental Care Routine
Whether you manage to reign in your cravings or not (we believe in you!), maintaining your oral hygiene regimen is critical to fighting off tooth decay and cavities.
We expose our teeth to a lot more sugar during the holidays, and daily brushing and flossing combined with regular trips to your San Diego dentist are the best way to counteract it.
Dental Express is San Diego’s favorite family dentist, and we’re here to keep you smiling throughout this holiday season.
If you have any questions about dental health during the happiest time of the year, feel free to contact us at your closest location…
And if it’s been a while since your last checkup, we’d love to serve your smile!
Keep Reading
How to Win the Fight Against Sugar Cravings
Healthy Oral Habits for Children’s Dental Health Month