Bythedale and Kohl’s Offer Tips for Safer and Healthier Halloween

Oct. 15, 2008 - PRLog -- VALHALLA, NY  – One of the most frightening things about Halloween isn’t the scary masks and costumes, but the dangers children face while trick or treating as well as the havoc that too much candy can do to their diets. Blythedale Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s, through their Injury Prevention and “Eat Well, Be Well “Programs, offer the following tips for making Halloween safer and healthier for kids.    

•   Because children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween, make sure they are visible! Have them carry a glow stick or a flashlight so drivers can see them.

•   Cross streets only at crosswalks and intersections, always looking both ways and never between parked cars.

•   Never let children trick or treat alone, and remind them to only visit homes of people they know and to never go into someone’s house.

•   Avoid homes that are dark and poorly lit, and be sure to only go out during your community’s curfew.

•   Dress your child in a properly fitted costume that leaves room for warm clothing.

•   Avoid masks that can restrict vision or breathing by using cosmetics and face paint instead.

With childhood obesity on the rise, Blythedale Registered Dietitian Marie Roth offers parents the following tips on how to have a healthier Halloween.

•   Before your children head out for trick-or-treating, start off the evening with a healthy snack such as a peanut butter sandwich and fruit, or a bowl of soup. If kids aren’t hungry, they will be less likely to overdo it on the candy throughout the night.

•   Be a healthy Halloween role model by handing out fun alternatives to candy such as stickers, punching balloons, yo-yo’s, or any party favor that will entertain the crowd of kids in your neighborhood.

•   Offer individually wrapped low-sugar snacks such as raisins, pumpkin seeds, sugar-free gum, pretzels, animal crackers, or whole grain gold fish.

•   Let your children enjoy some of their Halloween candy in moderation only after you have thoroughly inspected it. Anything unwrapped, including fresh fruit, should be thrown away. Without a wrapper there is no way to know if the food has been tampered with. If you find anything suspicious in your child’s bag, call the police!

•   For younger children, remember to take away any choking hazards including gum, peanuts, and hard candy.

Ms. Roth notes that while most of the candy kids get on Halloween night is small in size, the calories can be shockingly high. For example, one fun size Milky Way bar is 150 calories while only 9 Hershey Kisses are a whopping 230 calories. A caramel apple may seem harmless but it contains 243 calories. A fun size Butterfinger is 100 calories and regular size Kit Kat bar is 230 calories.

“Keep in mind as your kids are munching away on these treats that it takes about a mile of walking to burn off just 100 calories and almost three miles to burn 300 calories,” says Ms. Roth.  

The days following Halloween are the primetime for high-calorie snacking and secret gorging sessions of entire bags of candy, according to Ms. Roth.  “Give your kids a day or two to enjoy the candy and then let them trade it in for a non-food gift or toy. Offer them crayons, coloring books, stickers, etc, and then throw away the rest of the candy,” she suggests.

Another idea is to divide the leftover candy to be eaten a little bit at a time. Store one or two treats in a small plastic bag and then place the plastic bag in a larger paper bag. Allow your child to occasionally choose a treat from the bag, but remember to keep the large bag in a high cabinet. “If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind,” she adds.

And for those who simply can’t live without candy for Halloween, Ms. Roth suggests buying it at the last possible second so that there is no temptation to sample it in the days leading up to Halloween. Also, be sure to buy only the candy that you like the least.

Ms. Roth is co-author and instructor of "Eat Well, Be Well," Blythedale's community-based nutrition outreach program. She has spoken about healthy eating to more than 16,000 kindergarten through 5th grade students in Westchester and Putnam. She also holds a culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts.

Blythedale’s “Eat Well, Be Well” program provides school staff, students and parents with the tools necessary to help children develop healthy eating habits. For more information about Blythedale’s “Eat Well, Be Well” and Injury Prevention programs, please contact Lena Cavanna at (914) 592-7138 ext. 374.

About Kohl’s Department Stores
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s  is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl’s operates 957 stores in 47 states and will celebrate the opening of its 1,000th store in the fall. A company committed to the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $102 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares for Kids® philanthropic

About Blythedale Children’s Hospital
Founded more than 100 years ago, Blythedale Children's Hospital has been a leader in developing innovative, multi-disciplinary inpatient and ambulatory programs, as well as a community resource for children with a variety of medical concerns. Through its inpatient and day hospital programs, Blythedale Children’s Hospital treats more than 300 children daily, making it one of the largest children's services in New York State. In addition, the Hospital provides diagnosis and treatment for hundreds of outpatients with a wide range of medical and rehabilitation needs. Because of the unique and comprehensive array of pediatric programs and services, children and families come to Blythedale from the tri-state region and beyond. For more information about Blythedale Children’s Hospital visit www.blythedale.org

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About Blythedale Children’s Hospital: Founded more than 100 years ago, Blythedale Children's Hospital has been a leader in developing innovative, multi-disciplinary inpatient and ambulatory programs, as well as a community resource for children with a variety of medical concerns. Through its inpatient and day hospital programs, Blythedale Children’s Hospital treats more than 300 children daily, making it one of the largest children's services in New York State. In addition, the Hospital provides diagnosis and treatment for hundreds of outpatients with a wide range of medical and rehabilitation needs. Because of the unique and comprehensive array of pediatric programs and services, children and families come to Blythedale from the tri-state region and beyond. For more information about Blythedale Children’s Hospital visit www.blythedale.org