Around Halloween, it’s easy to be tempted by sugary treats and candy. Enjoying the season is one thing, but don’t let yourself lose sight of your health goals! To help you stay on track and fight the temptation, we’ve compiled some ways to make this Halloween heart healthy with Halloween health tips!

5 Halloween Health Tips & Wellness Ideas

1. Fill Up on the Good Stuff First

Whether you’re off to a Halloween party, going trick-or-treating with the children in your life, or staying in to pass out candy, make sure to eat a balanced meal full of protein, fruits, and vegetables and low in saturated fat and sodium. You can start with some fruit, and then have a quick, hearty meal like this chicken chili verde, which will warm you up and keep you full so you’ll be less likely to reach for candy or other sugary sweets.

2. Make a Healthy Alternative

How many times have you gone to a Halloween party to find nothing but sweets, starchy snacks, alcohol, and soda? Offering to make a healthy snack or appetizer to share can help you stay on track with your diet goals. The host will love the help and your fellow partygoers will appreciate alternative healthy options for Halloween.

3. Save the Candy for Trick-or-Treaters

If you’re planning on staying in this Halloween and think you’ll be tempted by that bag of candy, hold off buying it until the big day. If you think you’ll be tempted to eat a few bites while you’re handing out candy, consider handing out healthier alternatives, like applesauce pouches, fruit strips, or trail mix. Just remember, if you’re giving away anything with allergens, like peanuts, be sure to let your trick-or-treaters know. You can even hand out non-food items, like glow sticks, stickers, and temporary tattoos. You might find that children enjoy the added variety to their Halloween buckets!

4. Get Moving

Trick-or-treating is more than a way for children to get candy – it’s exercise! Walking around the neighborhood for an hour or two is a great way to get in heart healthy exercise while spending quality time with the kids in your life. If you’re trick-or-treating this year, avoid temptations to eat candy throughout the night by making a healthy alternative to snack on, like homemade trail mix.

If you’re not trick-or-treating, you can still sneak in some exercise. Try our tips for getting more exercise or see if you can do some quick exercises between trick-or-treaters. With any luck, you’ll not only support your heart, but also distract yourself from snacking on your candy!

5. Give Away Extra Candy

If you bought way too much candy and are tempted to eat all the leftovers, give it away! Thousands of dentists and other small businesses across the country participate in candy give-back programs, which can help you earn some money or other prizes from your uneaten candy. Plus, some organizations  donate the candy to U.S. troops, so you can feel good about giving it away. Or, if you can’t find a buy back program near you, reach out to local nonprofits, children’s hospitals, or shelters to see if they’ll take the candy.

Halloween can be a season of temptation, but with the right preparation and mindset, you can stay on track with your health goals and find creative ways to celebrate the holiday. Your healthy choices may even motivate those around you to follow your example. By providing alternative healthy options for Halloween, everyone’s heart will thank you!