How to Deal With Leftover Holloween Candy

If you’re like me, you’re sitting on about 5 lbs of candy right now.

Stuff you’ve swindled from your kids, the leftovers from Thursday night, and other junk that starts floating around the office this time of year.

For some perspective, a “fun size” Snickers is worth about a mile run or 100 burpees in calories. The point being it’s not as easy to burn this stuff as it is to consume it.

So what’s the best solution to tackling this stash of calories at your disposal?

Hold onto it and savor it in moderation? Not likely. The research shows that when delicious, calorie-dense foods are made available, self-control is likely to go out the window (ref). Even if you control yourself to a piece or two every few days, you’re still looking at another 100-200 calories that won’t be restricted from other meals, which over time, is how we tend to add 1-2 pounds every year (ref).

How about eating it into oblivion in a single sitting? Sure. Google “What to do with leftover Halloween candy” and you’ll find plenty of recipes to bake those treats into other goodies just to make sure you eat it all. Honestly, though, you won’t be satisfied with those 1000 calories.

There are ways to unload it on others, like donating it to soldiers and first responders. This gesture of thanks is better than eating it yourself and a good teaching opportunity if you’ve got children. For this, Operation Gratitude is an organization to checkout. Although I think a simple thank you card would work just as well, as no one really needs the added sugar in their diet.

Lastly, you can trash it, which seems like a painful waste.

So after a lot of thought, I’ve concluded the best option is…

Put it in a bag, then seal that up in a box, and place it in the deep freeze until next year, when you can put it back out on your porch to give away.

Hopefully, you haven’t eaten it by then, and you can still carry on this Halloween tradition in perpetuity without spending a cent.