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Halloween is behind us but for many families, the aftermath is buckets and pillowcases filled with candy. To help your kids control their appetite for Skittles and Snickers, consider some of our Halloween food rules:

- Set limits. It’s okay to eat a couple of pieces of candy a day, but half a dozen or more is a bit much. For Liz’s boys, two or three pieces is the limit: one piece after lunch and one after dinner (none for snack time).
- Donate a few pounds to your local nursing home.
- Make tooth brushing mandatory after eating a treat.
- Find out if your dentist, or any others in your community, have a “buy-back” program. In our area, one dentist pays $2.00 per pound of confections. In December, he and his young patients use the candy to create a gingerbread house which is then given to a local nursing home.

Tell us about your candy rules!

Add a new twist to your Halloween gathering by serving some good-for-you goodies. Kid-friendly suggestions: sweet potato chips, all-natural cheese curls, popcorn, dried fruits such as apricots and cranberries, Chocolaty Pumpkin Bars , pumpkin seeds, and chocolate milk. You can even try these fruit kebabs, presented in a pumpkin!