Gary Crawford of USDA Radio recently interviewed Dr. Kantor about healthy treat options for Halloween, the importance of proper nutrition, and his new book The Green Box League of 
Nutritious Justice. Kantor is CEO of Service Foods, which aims to teach people how to live a healthier lifestyle through proper nutrition. After all, the importance of healthy eating shouldn’t be ignored since the CDC states that at least 75% of all chronic diseases are nutrition related.
When it comes to Halloween, it’s just one night; does it really matter if we let our healthy choices fly out the window? Dr. Kantor says yes, it does. Although it is just one night, its not like children will just eat 2 or 3 pieces and be done. They will likely eat much more candy than that, and will binge on it over the next several days. Halloween is actually the start of holiday weight gain, which runs from Halloween through New Years and results in 6-8 extra holiday pounds.
So what are parents to do? Don’t buy candy ahead of time, keep healthy foods more easily accessible than the junk food, and most importantly make sure that your children are eating a healthy, nutritious diet on a regular basis. By doing this they won’t have cravings for the junk, they will just want it as a treat because it tastes good. Parents should also look for candies that don’t have dyes, high fructose corn syrup, added sugar, or preservatives. Look for labels that you can read and identify the ingredients.
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Dr. Kantor’s greatly anticipated new children’s book, The Green Box League of Nutritious Justice, is now available. Be sure to order this highly reviewed book, filled with healthy living tips for the whole family. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.
