How to Handle Halloween When Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Halloween marks the start of the holiday season! While it’s a festive time to create lifelong memories, it can also be stressful for people managing type 2 diabetes. Buying candy for trick-or-treaters may open the floodgates to seemingly never-ending sweet temptations.

Halloween isn't just about the candy

Although candy can be enjoyed and included in the right portion with carbohydrates accounted for, there are ways to enjoy other aspects of Halloween as well! This year, you can try these tips to reinvent the way you celebrate Halloween. Creating new traditions can help set the tone for positive eating habits throughout the entire holiday season.

Crafty Halloween tips for decorations

There is always that one house on the block that goes all out on Halloween decorations. You know, the one with smoke machines, spooky soundtracks on loudspeakers, and an almost concerning amount of violent props. While it may be a fun challenge to overthrow the neighborhood’s top decorated home, that may be a lot to ask. But, if you can’t beat them, join them! Channel your inner DIY-er and get creative with your outdoor decorations. It will bring the Halloween spirit to your community. Here are a few easy-peasy decoration ideas:

DIY glass lanterns

Instead of fancy store-bought lanterns, paint glass Mason jars with pictures of witches, skulls, and ghosts to display outside of your house. Then, add real or battery-operated tealight candles to light up your creations.

Spooky magic potions

Create a monster’s medicine cabinet by recycling old spice bottles. Paint the bottles black and label them with fantasy magic potion names such as unicorn tears, snake venom, and witch’s warts. Spooky!

Monster mash graveyard

Create a silly graveyard scene by using old dolls or action figures. Simply dig small holes in the yard and let the dolls or action figures pop out of the earth!

Host a pumpkin carving contest

What are the holidays without a friendly competition? Gather your friends or family for a pumpkin carving contest as a fun activity that doesn’t focus solely on food. For the ultra-competitors, up the ante by creating a "pot of gold" for the winner. Bonus, the pumpkin seeds from the works of art can get transformed into a tasty snack to enjoy throughout the night and week. It’s a fiber-filled way to satisfy the munchies and keep blood sugar levels under control.

Bake Halloween-themed treats

Managing diabetes doesn’t have to require giving up on your favorite festive treats. There are many ways to create healthy goodies. Here are a few easy snack ideas to try:

Boo-licious Greek yogurt bananas

Use bananas to make a ghost-themed treat. Simply insert a popsicle stick into a peeled banana and dunk it in plain Greek yogurt with a dash of vanilla extract. Then, use chocolate chips for the eyes and place the banana in the freezer.

Pumpkin pancakes

Reinvent a classic breakfast favorite by incorporating canned pumpkin into whole-grain pancake batter. Use a cookie cutter to shape the pancakes into ghosts, pumpkins, and more. Top the pancakes with your favorite nut butter or fruit compote for an extra burst of nutrition.

A sweet way to give back

The holiday season is all about giving, starting with the abundance of candy distributed from door to door. To avoid the temptation of the leftover candy after Halloween night, you may decide to donate the extras to a local shelter, your local Ronald McDonald House, or to Operation Gratitude. Donating is a rewarding way to stick to your health goals while bringing a smile to others in your community!

What suggestions do you have for others when navigating the temptations of Halloween?