I'm joining the MomsRising Halloween Blog Carnival because I believe children should live healthier lives. As a Mom and health advocate with the American Heart Association, I'm concerned about providing healthier choices for children and reducing the health issues associated with childhood obesity. I want to help build a generation of healthier children who embrace healthier lifestyle choices.

The American Heart Association is reaching out to families to show how children can have fun this Halloween while staying healthy.

Unfortunately, the annual celebration including junk food and candy can have a negative impact far beyond just Halloween. Childhood obesity has reached an alarming level in the United States. More than one in three children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Obesity can lead to other significant health issues like heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But simple choices can help parents guide their kids toward a healthier path.

The American Heart Association offers these tips for a healthier Halloween this year:

1.  Remember to have a healthy meal before you go trick-or-treating. This reduces the temptation to “snack” while walking.
2.  Make this a fun physical activity event. Set a goal of how many houses you will walk to and then stick to it!
3.  Think about a healthier version of treats to give out at your house: 100% juice juice-boxes; snack-size raisin boxes, pretzels, trail mixes or dried fruits; crayons, stickers, silly bands, tooth brushes, bubbles or coupons to local frozen yogurt stores.
4.  Avoid using toys that could be a choking hazard to little ones.
5.  Find the right sized collection bag for your child. Avoid the bottomless pillow case.
6.  Create a plan to deal with excess candy lying around your house come November 1st
7.  Avoid the urge to buy and consume on-sale candy after Halloween.
8.  Select one piece of candy per day for five days and put those in the refrigerator. When your child asks for a piece of candy, make sure to pair it with a healthy snack: an apple, a banana, some healthy nuts, or celery.
9.  Avoid the additional empty calories of sugar sweetened beverages like soda, which has been linked to weight gain and obesity in children.
10.  “Buy back” the candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade in for a fun activity: a day at the zoo, an afternoon playing at a local park, going ice skating, or a day at the pool.
11.  Some dentist offices and veterans’ groups have been known to buy back the candy from the community, so be on the lookout for that option!
12.  Be THAT House. No one said it was against the law to NOT pass out candy on Halloween, so don’t be afraid to be “that” house that doesn’t. Start a new tradition on your street and think about a healthier version of treats to give out. How about trying:

• mini boxes of raisins,
• clementine oranges painted like Jack-O-Lanterns,
• 100% juice juice-boxes,
• snack sized pretzels,
• pre-packaged trail mixes,
• pre-packaged dried fruits,
• crayons,
• stickers,
• tooth brushes,
• bubbles,
• plastic spiders, or
• coupons to local frozen yogurt stores.

For more information on healthy lifestyles for children, visit www.heart.org/healthierkids.

This post originally appeared on HVHeart.blogspot.com

This blog is a part of the MomsRising and CSPI #HealthyHalloween Blog Carnival