Halloween is upon us. And I'm scared. Not because of ghosts, goblins, witches, and warlocks, though. It's the candy that does it for me -- the sheer excess of sugar that will fill my kids' treat buckets on the night of trick-or-treat. My boys, who will quickly become beggars, will know no limits and will haunt me for weeks with their sweet requests. I haven't yet decided how I'll manage to trash a good portion of the goo my guys will score on this spooky night. But I do know I'd love it if nutritious treats could somehow find a place in the Halloween tradition. Maybe I need to nix the whole door-to-door thing and host my own little healthy hang-out -- complete with these Halloween treats.

• Organic apples, pears, and other fruits could be provided for easy munching. A little caramel dipping sauce could spice things up a bit.

• A handful of salt-free pretzels, sesame seeds, whole grain cereal, dried cranberries, and other dried fruits would make a perfect crunchy mix.
  

• Seedless grapes added to flavored sugar-free Jello could be the start of one favorite fruity indulgence.

There are many horribly healthy options out there. But will they -- can they -- ever replace what what kids have come to love so much about Halloween? It's the candy that keeps them coming back for more.

It's the candy that keeps me afraid of those knocks on the door.

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It's the season of spooking, and nothing says "Trick or treat!" better than kids going from house to house in search of all the candy they can get their hands on. Whether they are Batman, a Power Ranger or Disney princesses, they all have the same thing in mind. But before you let them eat their way into a sugar-induced coma, you're probably going to take a swat at their stash for yourself.

That's what the National Confectioners Association thinks anyway. According to them, ninety percent of parents admit to sneaking some candy out of their little superhero's Halloween stash. Those ever-popular snack-sized chocolate bars were a parental favorite (kids, now you know the target).

Halloween or not though, moderation is still the key. Some excellent tips to keeping the party under control include storing your children's massive candy stash somewhere other than his or her bedroom. Even grown-ups would have a hard time resisting a bag full of chocolate if it were kept in the same place they slept. Another good idea to moderate Halloween overdose would be to essentially buy your kid out! If you think having that much candy is detrimental, offer to buy all of it from your child. Spending money is a good alternative to eating until you can't walk straight.

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