- Dietitians agree restricting Halloween candy can backfire, leading kids to sneak or fixate on sweets.
- Allowing kids controlled freedom builds trust, helping them self-regulate and make healthy choices long-term.
- Neutralizing candy’s “good” or “bad” label fosters a positive, balanced relationship with food year-round.
I’ve been a registered dietitian for a long time, but I’ve been a person that loves Halloween candy even longer. Some of my best childhood memories are from Halloween—especially the time I wouldn’t let my dad take me home until I trick-or-treated at every house in the neighborhood (thanks, Dad!). There was so much excitement around being out late, knocking on people’s doors and having them give me candy! Your kids deserve those memories too! That’s why now, as a mom, registered dietitian and candy-lover, I never restrict Halloween candy at my house. You may be surprised to hear this, but my RD colleagues don’t either. Here are a few reasons why.
Our Good Intentions Can Backfire
None of the colleagues (who happen to also be moms) I interviewed for this story believe in restricting Halloween candy. Why? One thing dietitian moms know is that kids are smart. We may question that from time to time based on their other actions, but most of the time, if kids want something enough, they’ll find a way to get their hands on it—especially if it’s “off-limits.”
Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, a nutrition expert and author of Everyday Snack Tray, says that when her kids were younger, she’d only let them have a set amount of candy on Halloween and then the bags would get put away. She’d then dole out a little candy each day. “Guess what happened?” she asked. “My son would inevitably find the bags and take candy from both his bag and his sisters’, which caused several ugly fights.” Katie Sullivan Morford, M.S., RD, agrees that being overly restrictive with Halloween candy only makes kids want it more and creates unwanted drama around food. What parent wants more drama around the house?
Why Restriction Doesn’t Work
Most of us have learned the hard way that restriction doesn’t work for the long run. It seems like a logical strategy, but ultimately it tends to backfire. “I’ve found that restriction tends to fuel a deeper, longer-term fixation on sweets,” says Malina Malkani, M.S., RDN, CDN. Instead of restricting, we need to empower our kids, allow them to listen to their bodies and give them confidence to trust themselves. Kids like to feel like they have control or a say in a situation and if you take that away, they’ll often respond negatively. “It takes a lot of courage, but when we use Halloween candy to build trust, role-model a neutral approach to sweets, and support a child’s ability to self-regulate, we strengthen our kids to make healthier choices for themselves as they grow,” says Malkani.
Tips for How to Manage Halloween Candy
Registered dietitian, blogger and YouTuber Abbey Sharpe recently took to Instagram to give parents her strategies for lessening the lack of control your kids may get when they see, hear or even think about Halloween candy. Give her strategies a try, or consider one of the following ideas to help implement an approach that works for you and your family.
1. Allow candy freedom.
For Halloween and the following week, allow your kids to choose the candy they want. The only caveat is they must brush their teeth frequently. By the end of the week, more often than not, they’re over it, says registered dietitian Barbie Cervoni, M.S., RD, CDCES, CDN. Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, a registered dietitian, agrees with this strategy and allows her daughter to eat what she wants from her Halloween candy stash. “Since candy isn’t a forbidden food,” she says, “it makes eating it less of a big deal.”
2. Cultivate a healthy relationship with all foods.
Use Halloween as a motivator to help your kids develop a healthy relationship with food. “As parents, we feel pressured to feed kids a certain way and focus on what we feed them instead of how and why we feed them,” says Marina Chaparro, RDN, CDCES, a bilingual pediatric dietitian, diabetes educator and mom of two. “Are we forcing? Using candy so they eat their veggies? Moralizing food as ‘good’ versus ‘bad’? This will have a longer impact on their health.” Cervoni agrees: “Restricting candy on Halloween, creating strict candy rules, or labeling candy as ‘bad’ usually backfires. Kids can become candy obsessed and sneak it or feel ashamed when they eat it. Allowing them to have regular access to candy when it’s around takes away the novelty, and they will be less likely to overeat it at parties or when they are not in your presence.”
3. Give candy less power.
Candy isn’t only available during Halloween, it’s always around. That’s why Chef Julie Lopez, RD, recommends creating a food environment where candy doesn’t hold the power of being “good” or “bad.” Like Sharpe mentions in her Instagram video, candy can exist alongside other foods, in moderation. Allow your kids to have it after lunch or dinner and don’t use it as a reward for a certain behavior or action—in other words, neutralize its power.
Our Expert Take
Halloween only comes around once a year, but cultivating a healthy relationship with all foods is a year-round strategy. Teach your kids that food is fuel, but empower them to make decisions. If you find you need more support, reach out to a registered dietitian.
