The scariest part of Hallowe’en isn’t the ghoulish masks and the frightening costumes, it’s the sweet and candy binge that often accompanies it!

According to some new stats your kid’s trick-or-treat bag could now contain 4,800 calories with some 700 g/3 cups sugar in it! Now that is SCARY…

So how about just focussing on the tricks rather than the treats this year? That way you

don’t miss out on the fun and your Hallowe’en can still be a howling success. 

So what are the tactics to make this happen? I covered a few of them last year (see here) but here are a few more:

5 HALLOWEEN BASICS

 *  It may sound obvious but STAY AWAY FROM THE SWEETS & CANDY. Can you really trust yourself just to have just one piece? – no nor me! Will you really only eat it on Hallowe’en? – no nor me! You know what it tastes like and how addictive it can be don’t you? – yes me too! So let’s stick together and say NO

*  OK so that sounds impossible – SO WHY NOT HAVE AN EMERGENCY ALTERNATIVE OF A SUGAR-FREE OPTION? It may not be the same but it’s better than the full-sugar blow-out. Sugar free Werther’s Originals may just save  you from the worst. A bowl of sugar-free jelly often does it for me.

*  Spoil yourself with a NON-FOOD TREAT like a new bit of make-up, a new book, a luxury magazine or a manicure/beauty treatment. Double the value of what you might spend on candy to make up for all that control…

*  Timing is crucial – DON’T BUY HALLOWEEN TREATS FOR OTHERS AHEAD OF TIME. I can’t tell you how many times over the years the goodies never made it to Halloween Eve (or Christmas Eve either but that’s another story).  If you can’t trust yourself then buy on the day and not a moment before.

*  1st November signals the end of Halloween – DITCH ANYTHING LEFTOVER! There is always someone who can take the leftovers off your hands trust me – because you may not be able to trust yourself.

Now if all that sounds too eye-rollingly boring, there are some food treats that can be fun, bariatric-friendly and a treat to eat in controlled portions. I’m thinking eggs, fruit, dips, veggies, bariatric pizza, stuffed peppers, cheese and the like. Here are some visual ideas to get your mouth watering.

FOOD IDEAS:

AND THEN THE NON-FOOD IDEAS:

These are ideas for the Halloween trick-or-treat pail or bucket. Buy from a Pound or Thrift Shop for great value:

As well as the visual food ideas above we have many specific ideas on the website to choose from. There’s a risotto, a soup, a dessert and a cake for example – see below

Hallow’een Pumpkin Risotto (recipe here)

Spiced Pumpkin Soup (recipe here)

Crustless Pumpkin Pie (recipe here)

Fruity Spiced Pumpkin Teabread (recipe here)

But do have some FUN! These special days and holidays shouldn’t be vetoed, you just have to work around and through them. As a wise surgeon said to me recently … WLS ISN’T JUST A PROCEDURE IT’S A PROCESS!