By ANDREA NIKOLAI

It’s one week until Halloween, and dentists and dietitians everywhere are bracing their teeth in anticipation. As a dietitian who is working to promote healthy habits and improve the lives of others, Halloween can be a little frightening for reasons other than the usual.

I must admit, as a kid, I loved collecting as much candy as I could and playing Halloween games. It is possible though to put a healthy spin on the holiday that keeps all the fun and also keeps your child healthy. Did you know, nine out of 10 children said they would still like Halloween if it was less about candy and more about other types of fun? Additionally, according to a survey sponsored in part by the American Dental Association, two-thirds say they eat too much candy around Halloween. Use this knowledge to your advantage and enjoy the day, then have a plan for the remaining holiday loot. Here are some other tips to make the holiday devilishly delightful for you, your child, and your dietitian.

• Eat before you go. Before your holiday evening plans, serve your family a balanced meal including lean protein, whole grains and fruits or vegetables. This way your children aren’t starving amidst an array of sweets.
• Prepare some easy Halloween treats for your child’s snack or meal. Take a black permanent marker and draw a jack-o-lantern on the outside of an orange, or make eyes and an oval mouth on the top of a wrapped cheese stick for a ghost. For a quesadilla-like snack, cut a jack-o-lantern image out of a tortilla, and place it on top of an uncut tortilla with cheese in the middle. Another idea is to use a pumpkin cookie cutter or knife to make pumpkins out of slices of raw sweet potato before baking. Draw a spider web when pouring pancake batter in the morning, make Halloween shapes out of cheese slices for lunch or snack, then serve up spaghetti brains with a side of zombie grape eyeballs for a pre-event meal.
• Water wards off misfortune! Although it can be difficult to keep your child from the all the holiday treats, make an agreement to stick with the special power brew: water. Sugary drinks are high in calories and low in nutrients, and the calories and sugar add up quickly without even chewing.
• Ghost took the candy? Have a strategy for after-Halloween candy. It is not so much the actual day but how your child eats throughout the year. Use the holiday to help teach your child balance and moderation and how treats can fit in a healthy diet. Candy should be an occasional treat, not an everyday staple. Mix it in among healthier snacks such as fruit, nuts and yogurt. For extra candy, strategies include keeping it out of sight, out of reach in an opaque container, or simply in a location where your child usually doesn’t go for a snack. For example, one mom puts the candy in the produce drawer in the fridge and finds her kids eventually lose interest in it, maybe because it doesn’t taste quite as good cold! Another family puts it in snack-size bags, gives some away then allows some for the occasional snack, while another gives much of it out again the same night to other trick-or-treaters. Lastly, you could invite the “Candy Fairy” or “Switch Witch” to your house to exchange extra candy for a fun toy or game.
• Finally, be a role model for your child. To make it easier, resist buying any trick-or-treat candy early and don’t buy your favorites. If you do, see No. 4!
• Don’t let the holiday mummify you. To fly high, stick with this plan, and carve out a safe, fun, and healthy holiday! Now, that’s a wrap.
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  Andrea Nikolai is a registered dietitian at Washington Pediatrics located at 1206 Brown St. in Washington and can be reached at 252-946-4134.