Halloween Candy - abstain or treat yourself?

So far, Ive been candy free and plan to remain so although I had like 3 of those 'Dots' candys - their like gummy bears.  Not even a fan, if it doesnt have chocolate I dont consider it 'candy' but that was less temptation risk anyway.

How about you?

Hah! One of the great things about living in Italy is that we don't have bags of bite-sized Snickers and Hershey's Specials to haunt us every time we enter the grocery store, drug store or any other retail outlet trying to cash in on the holiday. It's a good thing too -- I can stay away from a regular sized candy bar but can easily consume twice as much in the bite-size version.

When I was in the States I used to try and buy candy that I didn't like -- candy corn, dots, gummy bears and what not. Figured if it wasn't in my house I couldn't eat it. Work was always a bit more difficult since there is ALWAYS someone who prides themselves in having a full candy bowl at their desk.

The best trick I've heard of is to save the wrappers instead of throwing them away. Even if your stomach hasn't told you to stop, seeing 10 bite-size candy wrappers staring at you from the kitchen table should be enough to frighten anyone.

Happy Halloween!

haven'T had any yet, but i think i will over the weekend.  halloween being my favorite holiday (yes, more than christmas; i love the costumes) i will have some fun stuff.  i think i'm going to make mud pie.  yum...

I still havent bought candy to give out.  Im trying to think of non chocolate items to eliminate any temptation but I feel guilty as if Im not really giving out candy.  Havent thought of one non chocolate that kids would want (or is that just me?).

Ive I were on board though, for over the counter it'd be either KitKats, Twix or Hershey with almonds.

i haven't had any yet either. i'll be purchasing some candy to hand out to the neighborhood kids, and hopefully i will run out. i'm also taking my daughter trick or treating and then her dad is coming to pick her up afterward, so i'm sending all of her halloween candy to his house hehehehehehe. fingers crossed. if i'm going to indulge in any holiday, it'll be thanksgiving. i love stuffing, sweet potatoes, potato casserole and pumpkin pie more than i love candy!

Original Post by sun123:

Havent thought of one non chocolate that kids would want (or is that just me?).

I was the kid who loved the non-chocolate items as much as, if not more than, the chocolate stuff!  Skittles, Starbursts, gummy anything, licorice, lollipops (but really only Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops), Jujifruits, candy corn...you get the idea.   

I will have to have SOME Halloween candy, as I think it's the best holiday too!!  There is that desk with the candy bowl down the hall, but I'm holding off until tomorrow...

Sun, I posted this idea in another thread but glow sticks are fun non-food treats to pass out.  Crack them beforehand so they're already glowing and toss them in the bags.  The kids love 'em!!  How many times do parents (me included) get suckered into buying glow sticks at outings like carnivals and such.

I picked up tubes of 15 sticks for $1 at Target a few weeks back.  I have some I got on clearance from last year too.

The glow sticks are a great idea--and helpful safety-wise, as well!  I always stick a few on my kids' costumes so they can be seen in the dark.

This year, I opted for non-candy treats, and decided to go with some (plastic) spiders, lizards, and bugs, as well as some pencils for the bug-a-phobes.  I got the idea last year when I put some plastic spiders in the candy bowl just as a joke, and kids kept taking the spiders instead of candy!  Hopefully, they'll be popular this year, too.

I bought individual bags of microwave popcorn last year along with candy.  The popcorn was individually wrapped and the product wrapping was a Halloween theme instead of the regular wrapping.  Nine times out of ten the kids would go for the popcorn instead of the candy.  Who knew?  So this year I just bought the popcorn.  I figured that if I got into it I could eat the whole bag and not feel guilty!

The other day at the store, I saw a big bag of miniature containers of PlayDough (you know... the colorful sculpting clay for kiddos); this would be an EXCELLENT gift for the trick-or-treaters! I think you can get a bag (like 15 or 20 little tubs) for about $4.00 at WalMart or Costco... and no risk of eating the treats before Halloween arrives!

Just because something doesn't have chocolate in it doesn't mean it's that much better for you!  The only true low cal halloween candy I can think of are smarties (the US version).

Original Post by madetoshine:

Just because something doesn't have chocolate in it doesn't mean it's that much better for you!  The only true low cal halloween candy I can think of are smarties (the US version).

 Smarties are low calories??

One roll of them is 25 calories. 

You do realize you can look up calorie information on this site right? 

I'm abstaining. I'd rather have ice cream than the loads of candy my coworkers are giving me. It's quite annoying, actually...I wish they'd ask if I want it instead of shoving it at me. We have a Halloween luncheon at 1, I plan to be conveniently out of the office then so I don't risk temptation or having to explain why I'm not eating a ton of sweets.

Now that I understand how much I can eat for the amount of calories in candy, they're not even appealing to me anymore.

Original Post by emilyd22222:

Now that I understand how much I can eat for the amount of calories in candy, they're not even appealing to me anymore.

Wow, I admire that a lot.  I WISH I could think like that!  Sometimes I do, but more often than not, my insane sweet tooth wins out.

this guy at my office has a HUGE  basket of candy. i managed to eat half of a butterfinger fun size bar. Whoo hoo go me! lol

I will take wine over candy.  It makes the whole evening go by much more pleasantly.

I made a pact with myself for this halloween....NOTHING fun size.  So last night we came home from trick or treating (three kids equals LOTS OF FUN SIZES....).  I failed....LOL.

BUT, I saved my wrappers, logged my treats and was fine with it.....I indulged last night but it's ok because today is today.  And tomorrow will be tomorrow. 

And I "hid" the candy......out of sight, out of mind works well for me.  So in a few days when the excitement is gone.....the candy gets a new home.....usually my husbands office.