Live Well Work Well – October 2017

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10 Easy Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween should be an exciting time of year for children and their parents, but too often the celebration devolves into tragedy. This season, make safety the top priority for your family.

Best Practices for Parents

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled a list of Halloween best practices. Follow these tips to keep your family safe.

  1. Always accompany young children when trick-or-treating.
  2. Watch for motorists and cross alleys carefully.
  3. Only visit houses that are well-lit when trick-or-treating.
  4. Use reflective tape or other light-up devices to increase your child’s nighttime visibility, especially when wearing dark costumes.
  5. Do not let children eat strangers’ homemade treats.
  6. Avoid candles and open flames, especially when in costume.
  7. Keep costume accessories soft and flexible (for example, swords or knives).
  8. Examine your children’s treats for choking hazards or tampering before they eat.
  9. Remove any costume makeup before bed to avoid skin and eye irritation.
  10. Make sure costumes and accessories do not impair visibility or inhibit movement.

Have a Healthy Halloween

Nutrition can be easily overlooked during a holiday best known for its abundance of candy and sugary treats.

BAKED APPLES & SWEET POTATOES

5 sweet potatoes (cooked, nearly tender)

4 apples (cored, sliced)

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup margarine

1 tsp. nutmeg

¼ cup hot water

2 Tbsp. honey

PREPARATIONS

1.      Heat the oven to 400 F. Grease a casserole dish with butter or margarine.

2.      Slice the apples and sweet potatoes.

3.      Layer the dish with sweet potatoes, apple slices, and some brown sugar, salt and margarine pieces (in that order). Repeat this layer pattern until the dish is filled.

4.      Sprinkle top layer with the remaining brown sugar, margarine and nutmeg.

5.      Mix hot water and honey, then pour the mix over the top layer. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Makes: 6 servings

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Total Calories 300
Total Fat 8 g
Protein 2 g
Carbohydrates 60 g
Dietary Fiber 6 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Sodium 320 mg

 

Source: USDA

 

That is a shame, since about 1 in 5 school-aged children are obese, according to the CDC. This Halloween, consider being the one house on the block that offers healthy trick-or-treat alternatives.

Here are some store-bought snacks that can double as trick-or-treat offerings:

  • Dried fruit
  • Sugar-free gum
  • Pretzels
  • Juice boxes
  • Snack crackers
  • Apples
  • Fruit bars
  • Cheese sticks