A chill is in the air and the pumpkins have taken over, it’s officially spooky season. As with many holidays that are centered on food, people can find Halloween hard to navigate especially if they follow special diets including post-organ transplant. If this is you, you might be asking yourself, or the internet, questions like, “What can someone with a transplant feel mostly good about eating during this time of year that won’t wreck my phosphorous and glucose levels?” or, “should I be eating dark chocolate, organic candy, or maybe lollipops to be healthier?” 

You are not alone in your concern and confusion. Read on for tips to help get you through the maze of candy corn and chocolate bars to help you come out on the other side feeling good about your health and yourself. 

Tip #1: Celebrate the Season 

You’re not wrong if the first thing you think about during Halloween season is candy, and yet there are so many other ways to participate in the holiday beyond sweet treats. It may be helpful to write out a list of different activities to enjoy. For example: 

• Visiting a pumpkin patch 

• Pumpkin painting or carving 

• Putting up decorations 

• Dressing up in costumes 

• Visiting a haunted house 

• Organizing or participating in a Trunk or Treat for your community 

• Walking through crunchy leaves 

• Lighting a candle and cozying up with a good book or spooky movie 

What would you add to the list? 

Focusing on other aspects of the holiday may soften your concerns regarding food. 

Tip #2: Don’t Get Tricked by Twisty Marketing 

Food marketing is designed to make you feel like you must have a certain food, and you must have a lot of it, and you must have it right now. Otherwise, you’re going to miss out on a seasonal flavor, or you’re not enjoying the holiday the right way, and on and on.  

The fact is, you need to choose what’s right for you. Asking yourself the following questions can help: 

• Do you regularly experience GI issues? 

• If so, you may want to avoid sweets marketed as “low in sugar” or “sugar-free” because that often means they are using sugar alcohols. Many people experience diarrhea when eating sugar alcohols. If you already have GI issues, these treats may make your issues worse. 

• Are you trying to manage phosphate levels? 

• It’s true that chocolate treats can be a source of dietary phosphate and hard candies like lollipops are not. If chocolate treats are your absolute favorite, that does not mean you need to say no, it means you need to think about portion control. Enjoying 1-2 fun-size candies a day will help minimize the impact on phosphate levels.  

• Bonus tip – chocolate candy can be frozen to preserve the tastiness over time. Seal the candy in an airtight container and only defrost 1-2 pieces at a time. 

• Are you trying to manage blood sugar levels? 

• All candy – organic, milk and dark chocolate, etc. – will have an impact on blood sugar levels unless they are sugar-free. Just like with phosphate management, you can reduce the rise in blood sugar by portioning out your candy. It may be even easier during Halloween because most candies are already packaged into small servings. 

• Regular physical activity, including walks, can also help your body use the sugar and other carbohydrates you eat throughout the day in a healthy way. This is a great time of year to be intentional about regular activity! 

• Do you even like the sweets being offered? 

• Sometimes we choose to eat foods we don’t even really like because of social pressure, seasonal scarcity, tradition, or for emotion management. When we take time out to ask ourselves if we’re even enjoying the experience, it can help us make healthier decisions.  

Tip #3: Invite All Your Senses to the Party 

Not to get too scientific, but research has shown that eating sweets in a mindful way, taking time to use all your sense to enjoy the treat, may increase your pleasure and reduce feelings of guilt.  

The advice is to go all in when enjoying candy. That does not mean eating an entire bag of candy in one sitting. All in means really taking the time to enjoy and appreciate the experience of the treat using all five sense – hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting.  

If you want to practice, here’s a great resource on mindful eating for sweet treats: https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/_docs/volunteer/resources-and-development/healthy-living/mental_health/mindful-eating-with-chocolate.pdf 

Tip #4: Avoid Haunted Hauls 

Long after the holiday is past, we continue to find little ghosts of Halloween haunting our house in the form of candy that hangs around too long. When we have candy lying around it might make us feel like we must eat the candy just to finish it off and not be wasteful. But there are alternatives to consider: 

• Donate – local food banks, homeless centers, dentists’ office, military troops, and more may be willing to take unwanted candy off your hands 

• Save it for later – storing candy in a cool, dry environment can extend it’s shelf life meaning the candy can be used for other holidays. Think stocking stuffers for Christmas, Valentine’s Day gifts, and Easter baskets. 

• Share it – take it to work or other in-person event so others can share in the enjoyment 

• Make arts and crafts – make a candy mosaic with your kids or grandkids. Or save it for gingerbread house decorations.  

• Throw it away – if you can’t access an alternative option for any reason, it’s okay to just throw the candy away to remove it from your environment. 

This Halloween, you’re invited to try out any of the tips above and experience the holiday in a new way, one that focuses on the joy instead of the guilt, stress, and shame. As you play around with different tips, share your experience with your TransplantLyfe community. Happy Halloween!