286. Beyond the Candy Bowl: My 3 Rules for Halloween

Insatiable with Ali Shapiro, MSOD, CHHC

Happy Halloween season, dear Insatiable listeners! As we move toward this sweet-and-spooky holiday, I wanted to share how we approach candy in my household — before, during, and after trick-or-treating.

In this episode, I'll explain the three flexible, biology-rooted rules that guide how I handle sweets for my almost five-year-old son, Eça. I also talk about how I approach candy for myself. Because it isn’t just for kids, and the idea that there’s food for kids and food for adults is just a marketing strategy.

Tune in to hear about:

• Why food “rules” need more nuance
• My 3 principles for candy consumption: blood sugar, immunity, & joy
• How to center joy & belonging in your Halloween traditions
• Moderation as a radical approach
• Our Halloween night protocols
• The challenges of intuitive eating for kids

Mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 280: What’s Missing From the “Emotional Eating” Conversation with Dr. Deborah MacNamara
• Episode 257: Alcohol, Food, and Body Image: Push Off From Here with Laura McKowen – Insatiable Special Episode
• Episode 234: How to Exercise to Prevent Sugar Cravings with Alisa Vitti
• Episode 233: Quitting Alcohol and Managing Sugar Cravings with Laura McKowen

Send me (Ali) a text message.

⭐️ Ready to catch yourself before you fall off track with food? RSVP for my free workshop on September 3rd. I’ll guide you through a supportive coaching exercise, and you’ll walk away with tangible tools for untangling your food triggers. Click here to join live and get the recording.

Connect with Ali & Insatiable:

Click here to text Insatiable (for privacy, we only see the last 4 digits of your phone number) and won’t be able to text back. Please don’t delete prepopulated numbers as that identifies your message is meant for us.