Halloween is fast approaching, which means it is high time to start prepping kids on the best treats to snatch on Halloween night. But, as most parents would agree, keeping Halloween candy and sweets in the house is both a dream and a nightmare: on the one hand, there are all these good things that are within grasp and do not cost anything, and on the other hand, children are fully aware, just like any other person in the house, that there is sugar in storage, hence, tantrums.
Holloween is here, and it's clear that carribean-raw-sugar-level calories are going to be saturated in your home like any visitor who once came.
Since you risk traumatizing your kids—and yourself—if you make all the candy "disappear" in the middle of the night, you might as well do your best to make sure they are put away in a way that preserves their taste for as long as it is within your house.
Now, how do you store your kids' Halloween candy? What is the best thing to do? The details follow.
In Dutch, he said it, "I am sure that there are certain things that one would like to avoid regarding Halloween candy, such as, one, staleness, and two, sugar cocoa powder melting." Speaking about the above, there is also such a term as chocolate sullaging where a white deposit is formed over the chocolate, indicating that the components are breaking down. It is not harmful. However, it is not pleasant in looks and might even alter the flavor of the chocolate.
It turns out, almost all of the Halloween treats, bar some few exceptions, have a shelf life of one year, claims Christine Venema, a food safety educator from Michigan State University Extension. This includes items such as chocolate, gummy bears, and hard sweets. However, it should be noted that certain confectioneries will have a strict "best before" date, and adherence to that is highly recommended.
Moreover, if the candy was made with an additive such as a flavor, then they would start to decline as well. "Mints in this case would probably be less minty in flavor," notes Venema.
In general, Kristina Venema recommends keeping your sweet treat in the pantry or cupboard, in other words, a cool and dry place. In addition, elastic gummies may be kept in a zip-loc bag, and this will also help in prolonging their lifespan, she states.
What they do, however, usually ends up making me laugh. Luke YoungMD, a pediatrician and primary care physician with Memorialcare Medical Group—Lakewood, describes it as "somewhat of a trick question," because after all, candy is simply laced with sugar and lacks nutritional value, even if it is an adult or a toss-their-age child: no one is healthy enough to consume it. "If parents wish to prevent their children from eating the worst types of candy, may I suggest avoiding anything that includes high fructose corn syrup as its primary ingredient?" he offers.
A lot depends on the size of the candy. Referring to the smaller, bite-sized type of candy, Young observes that after finishing a nutritious meal, kids are likely to take about three pieces depending on their ages and sizes. By the way, this is a conversation I suggest you have with your children now.