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Expert: Parents need a post-Halloween candy consumption plan

A few pieces of candy can add to a quarter of a child's calories. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)
A few pieces of candy can add to a quarter of a child's calories. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt) | License Photo

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. nutrition expert advises parents have a plan for their children's Halloween candy consumption and that their children know the rules.

Linda Bobroff, a professor at the University of Florida and Extension nutrition specialist with the university's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, suggests parents to look carefully at their children's Halloween goodies, checking for and discarding any foreign objects, unwrapped candies, and to discard any candy their children aren't excited about eating.

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Bobroff, a registered dietitian, says it's OK for children to enjoy some candy the night of a Halloween party or right after trick-or-treating, in the days following the holiday, but parents should limit their children to just one or two pieces of candy.

If parents get lucky, she says, children will forget about the Halloween candy cache within a few days.

"It's good to remember, children weigh less than adults and their caloric needs are less, too. So if a child's weight suggests that he or she only needs to consume 1,200 calories in a day, just a few small candies could add up to one-quarter of those daily calories, which crowds out other nutrient-rich foods," Bobroff says in a statement.

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"Parents of children with special dietary needs may need to further restrict the amount of sweets their children consume or find other ways to celebrate the Halloween holiday."

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