CARTERVILLE, Ill. (WSIL) -- Halloween is around the corner and you'll likely see a lot of candy if you or your little ones go out trick-or-treating.
Before you dig in though and start eating all that candy, there are a few things you should know.
We spoke with a registered dietitian about consuming so much sugar in one night.
Ellen Gipson is the founder of Square One Wellness. She says one night of eating unhealthy isn't a big deal.
"For holidays, we really want to treat them as a holiday," Gipson said. "One day of your diet is not going to determine your overall health. So letting kids enjoy this special day, this chance to have candy, is a wonderful thing. And we really just want to make sure that they've had a solid meal ahead of time. So they've had a well-balanced dinner with protein, carbohydrates, fats, a good healthy meal so that they can enjoy the candy and not overeat because they're hungry."
Gipson also said not everyone can enjoy candy as some have food allergies. She feels the Teal Pumpkin Project helps provide children with food allergies a night of fun with their peers and family members, without the worry of eating certain foods.
"Those alternatives can be really fun things that the younger kids can enjoy," Gipson said. "Maybe it's stickers or a tattoo or little sticky hands or Halloween jewelry. Those are great if you have those toddlers hanging around who may not be able to safely consume all the candy that the older children are eating."
Gipson said to also check your child's candy and discard anything which may look suspicious.
"Parents should definitely be involved with the Halloween trick-or-treating process to monitor where they're going, who they're talking to. And then, what they're picking up. They're coming home with the bags of candy. Go through the candy with them and make sure that everything's safe, nothing's opened already. And then, yeah, if you're looking and noticing some kind of foreign object or something looks unfamiliar, but we should actively be involved," Gipson added.
