Tricks To Avoid The Worst Treats

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Halloween really is a fright night for parents. Our experts, an orthodontist, dentist, allergist, dietitian and vegan chef, offer the safest candy choices and smartest party foods.

By Amanda Klarsfeld | Special to the Sun Sentinel

October 30, 2008

 

With all the candy floating around at Halloween sending your child to school with it for a party just seems wrong to many.These snacks are healthy options to the avalanche of pure sugar at the end of October. (Larry Crowe, AP / October 29, 2008)

 

On Halloween night, as we wave goodbye to our witches and warlocks, we say goodbye to our concerns about nutrition. As those trick-or-treaters go in search of Tootsie Rolls, Snickers and candy corn, can the experts really tell us anything we don't already know about this sugary stuff? We ask an orthodontist, a dentist, an allergist, a registered dietitian and a vegan chef what they recommend for kids on this bewitched night. Whether you're passing out treats to the neighborhood ghosts, inspecting your own kids' trick-or-treat baskets or preparing something sweet for a Halloween party, this is information that will help you choose what's right for your sweet-toothed tots.

The OrthodontistIf your kids wear braces, the potential damage caused by candy is what makes Halloween truly frightening. Gum, nuts, suckers, hard candy, caramel, taffy, candy apples, Jolly Ranchers and jawbreakers present the greatest risk for breaking braces, says Arthur Kapit, an orthodontist in Boca Raton. Better options are fruit roll-ups, chocolate without nuts and peanut butter cups, he says.Kapit has lots of experience with kids and braces, and not only in his practice: He's the father of three sons and a daughter; and has seven grandchildren, ages 1 to 16. He knows children who wear braces are at increased risk for cavities

and gum disease because wires and brackets make it hard to clean gums and teeth. Extra care needs to be taken when brushing and flossing.Recipe tip: For a braces-friendly treat, try the Spooktakular Pumpkin Cake, a recipe provided by the American Association of Orthodontists.

 

 

 

The Dentist

We all know how dentists feel about candy. Nevertheless, we want to know which sweets hold the least cavity-causing evil.James Bennett, a father of 3-year-old twins who practices pediatric dentistry in Coral Springs and Boca Raton, says that plain chocolate candies such as Hershey's bars and Kisses, sugar-free bubble gum, and 100-calorie cookie snack packs are good bets.Avoid things that stick in the teeth such as Sugar Daddies and gummy candies. Also steer clear of Lemonheads and other sour candies that have a high citric acid content that can cause tooth enamel erosion. Candies that stay in

the mouth for a long time, like jawbreakers, are likely to lead to cavities.Bennett advises parents to limit Halloween candy intake to one piece at meal times. But good luck with that.

The AllergistFor those with food allergies, certain sweet indulgences can be life threatening, says Jaime Landman, an allergist/immunologist practicing in Hollywood and Aventura. He's also the father of three sons, ages 12, 16 and 19, the youngest of which has food allergies.Kids commonly have serious reactions to peanuts, tree nuts, cow's milk, soy milk, eggs, sesame, corn and wheat. A U.S. labeling law requires that six of these eight allergens be listed on all food packaging (sesame and corn are exempt).Many popular candy bars contain either peanuts or tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds to name a few), but non-bar candies such as Tootsie Rolls, Mike and Ikes and Lifesavers are nut free.Chocolate, fudge,

caramels and nougat may be made with milk. Don't be fooled by the words "non-dairy" on the label. They do not necessarily indicate a milk-free food. For example, foods made with milk protein such as nougat, caramel, chocolate and fudge can be labeled non-dairy or dairy-free, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Kids who have allergies to milk should not consume these candies. Although it is unusual for Halloween candy to be made with soybeans, it may contain soy lecithin that is often used as an emulsifier for chocolate. Eggs are an ingredient in chocolate candies with cream or fondant fillings and marshmallow candies. Popular candies that don't contain wheat (or gluten) include 3 Musketeers, Baby Ruth and Butterfingers.Recipe tip: For those with gluten allergies we offer recipes for Gluten-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies and Gluten-Free Old-Fashioned Spice Cake.Corn syrup is found in most commercial candies.

Parents of corn-allergic kids can visit yummyearth.com to find a list of sweets made without corn syrup (the candies listed are also organic, gluten- and nut-free, as well as Kosher).If your child has allergies, Landman suggests you accompany your child when he goes trick-or-treating and have emergency medications ready. Carry hand wipes or incorporate light gloves into their allergic child's Halloween costume (all princesses wear gloves and most Disney characters do, too) to protect them from accidental exposure to unsafe foods.Also, he advises, allergic children should not eat any candy or other food until they are home and parents have carefully read labels.

The DietitianChances are, if you bring your child's Halloween basket to a registered dietitian for a nutritional analysis, she will promptly transfer its contents to another basket — the one she keeps under her desk. Nevertheless, Hillary Schrack, a registered dietitian at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, believes there are some nutritionally acceptable Halloween treats.Her list includes dark chocolate (for its antioxidant properties), sugar-free gum or candy (sweetened with Splenda because it tastes a lot like real sugar), boxes of raisins or other dried fruits (packed with iron, fiber and potassium) and fresh fruit (apples are popular this time of year).Recipe tip: If you are planning a

Halloween party, , you don't need to serve junk food. Instead, try her recipes for Pumpkin Dip, made from beta-carotine-rich pumpkin puree and cream cheese, and Gnarled Witch's Fingers, made from breaded and broiled chicken cutlet strips. They are a healthful alternative to chicken nuggets.

The Vegan ChefIf you and your family avoid dairy products, eggs and meats, this doesn't mean you need to go without treats. According to Rebecca Bryan, pastry chef at Fort Lauderdale's Sublime vegan restaurant, many popular Halloween candies are fine for those eating a vegan diet, including Twizzlers, Airheads, Hubba Bubba, Jolly Ranchers, Blow Pops, SweeTarts, Mary Janes, Swedish Fish and more.Unlike many candies, they don't contain gelatin (an ingredient extracted from collagen inside animals' connective tissue and used in candies for texture) or dairy products (often found in milk chocolate-based candies).Recipe tip: If you want a vegan treat for your Halloween party, or you just want to bring something unique and delicious, Bryan recommends making her Nuts-Over-Sublime Bars made that include coconut and cashews.Amanda Klarsfeld is a freelance writer in Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

 

 

 

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