By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – The best way to eat healthy this Halloween is to have a good meal before everyone goes out trick or treating.
The McLean County Health Department’s communications specialist Lisa Slater offered several health and safety tips for Wednesday’s spooktacular.
Slater told WJBC’s Scott Miller that people eating a balanced meal first won’t load up on treats.
“When you go trick or treating, or you go to Halloween parties, you’re going to have less desire, less of an impulse to fill up on treats and snacks that are packed with sugars and low in nutrition,” said Slater.
She said try to ration the goodies so they last for days and weeks after Halloween. Also, stay away from sticky treats and hard candies, drink fluoridated water and use toothpaste with fluoride to help wash away food particles and prevent tooth decay.
As a safety precaution, Slater said adults need to check all of the treats.
“To the best of my knowledge, I do not know of any cases where we have found things that would harm a child here locally, but we also check lots of (other) things that we don’t anticipate having a problem with, but for safety sake, we check them anyway,” Slater said.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
