Keep the candy and some healthy habits — 3 tricks for keeping the treats in check

SALT LAKE CITY — If you're a parent, you already know how the story ends. The costumes are cute, the candy piles up and suddenly everyone's running on sugar.

Nutritionist Ali Essig said parents don't have to choose between letting kids enjoy the holiday and building some healthy habits. She shared three simple strategies that can make a big difference.

1. Eat fiber first

• Beans
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Whole Grains

"If it's the one thing you remember — it's fiber first," Essig said. She explained that most people are deficient in fiber, and adding it before candy can help create a steadier physiological response when all the sweets start rolling in.

"It comes packed with vitamins and nutrients and minerals that are just gonna protect your cells from all of the sugar," Essig said.

She said fiber also keeps us fuller, so it's easier to just enjoy candy as a treat. Any type of fruit is a great choice, especially raspberries.

"Any type of vegetables, veggies and hummus really quick before going out," she said. "Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread, that's also gonna prevent a big blood sugar spike."

If you are planning a meal before the kids head out trick-or-treating, chili is a great option.

"Chili is a fantastic meal," Essig said. "Beans are so good for you."

2. Fun without fear

"We don't wanna market or just label candy as bad," Essig said. "When we hear something's bad and we shouldn't do it, don't we just wanna do it even more?"

She explained that this thinking can backfire, bringing on feelings of guilt and causing someone to sneak sweets or develop an even stronger fixation on them.

"It can make us feel guilty and shameful about something that we actually really enjoy," Essig said, adding that people should create healthy habits around fun foods.

3. Frequency matters

After the candy collecting, Essig said to make a plan for all the treats. You might let kids enjoy a few favorites right away, or keep the candy and spread it out over time. If you're keeping the stash, pay attention to timing.

"Bring the candy out after dinner," she recommended. "Their bellies are full, and then, again, the negative side effects of the sugar don't have as big of an effect."

She also said to try and avoid grazing.

"We just wanna avoid the constant snacking on candy," Essig said. "It's not great for your body and it's not great for your teeth."

This story originally aired on KSL TV and has been reformatted for a digital audience using artificial intelligence.