With Halloween creeping up – followed closely by Thanksgiving and Christmas – there are a lot of treats to contend with. From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving pies and Christmas treats, there is plenty of sweet temptation around. How do you enjoy but not over-indulge this holiday season?

Mary Bennett, RD,CDE Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at NorthShore, shares the strategies for families:

1. Give your will power a break. Avoid temptation by not keeping your favorite sweets around the house. For example: if you know you can’t have chocolate around the house without overindulging, buy other types of candy for trick or treating or offer healthier trick or treats to your goblins. Great ideas are glow sticks, boxed raisins, stickers or colored markers.
2. Have your cake and eat it too. Don’t try to avoid sweets altogether (or expect your children to) – that will just set you up for failure and leave you feeling bad. Plan for small indulgences throughout the week. This way you can incorporate the treats into a well-balanced diet. When you “cheat” indulge you won’t feel like you failed and end up throwing your healthy diet out the window.
3. Play favorites. Be picky about your choices and don’t have dessert just because it’s there. Save your calories for what you really want or take the opportunity to have a small serving. It’s not that difficult if you remind yourself there are so many more ‘sweet’ opportunities around the corner.

What are your tricks for enjoying treats?