I love watching kids at Halloween – and any time of the year for that matter. They can teach us so much about instinctive eating and effortless weight management. During Halloween they’re just as excited about the costumes, the trick-or-treating, the sorting, and the trading as they are about the eating. Don’t get me wrong; they love the candy but food is only part of the experience. And for weeks afterward they get to enjoy a couple of pieces of candy each day—but most kids lose interest when their favorites are gone.

Though parents sometimes worry about sugar and junk food, “fun” foods are part of a healthy diet. In fact, overly restrictive food rules usually lead to rebellious eating anyway – just think about the last time you weren’t “allowed” to eat something on a diet. Children and adults both eat healthier when they enjoy these less nutritious foods in moderation when they want them.

To enjoy the treats without over doing it, plan to include a couple of snack size candy bars each day when you really want them - but skip the candy you don’t absolutely love. Don’t feel guilty or make yourself pay penance with exercise since those negative thoughts often backfire and result in overeating.

For more lessons children can teach us about eating, see the full article at http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-10-07.pdf.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 8:10 am and is filed under Healthy Families, Nutrition for Non-Dieters, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.