Prince George, B.C. – Northern Health’s Marianne Bloudoff has provided some tips to help “keep Halloween candy as a treat, not a food group.”

For starters, the population health dietician recommends sorting out a plan with your kids before heading out tonight.

“Starting with a good meal before hand so that you’re not hungry when you go out,” she says.

“And then having a plan for how long you’re going to go trick-or-treating – it could be a certain amount of time or until the candy buckets are full.”

Once you arrive home, Bloudoff says it’s up to parents to decide how many treats might be appropriate to eat.

“We all know we’re going to have a few more than we normally would on a regular day,” she says. “That’s fine because it’s just one night out of the year and it’s more about our healthy eating patterns than just one night.”

What to do with all the candy once Halloween is over?

“It’s good to keep the candy out of sight in a place like the kitchen cupboard and treat it as a treat to enjoy on occasion like part of a snack or part of a meal.”

For those parents who feel there’s too many treats in the house, she suggests parents initiate a buy back program.

“Because of course the candy has worth to your kids, they’ve gone out, they’ve collected it and they value it,” says Bloudoff. “So you set up a buy back program where how many treats equals a movie pass or something they’d be really excited about.”

Should households make an effort to hand out healthier snacks Halloween night?

“I think it’s a personal choice. Some people will definitely want to hand out candy but some people may also hand out healthier items or non-food items that are still fun like Halloween pencils and erasers, stickers or temporary tattoos.”