30-Minute Mommy

Wondering what to do with leftover Halloween candy? Read on!

According to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a typical bag of Halloween candy is equal to three cups of sugar.

ACK!

Now, I’m all for enjoying treats — including chocolate and candy — in moderation. But I know that there’s no way on earth that our household needs 9 cups of sugar (three kids, yah?), not counting all that leftover candy we bought to hand out. So, I’ve come up with ways to use the leftover Halloween candy:

1. Throw it out. Yeah, I know all about “waste not, want not.” I get it, I really do. But some candy isn’t worth eating. We go through and toss anything with no wrapper, anything obviously nasty or melted, or anything that looks like it dates from 1972.

2. Cash it in. Many doctors and dentists offer cash for candy post-Halloween. Want to know where you can take it? Google “Halloween Candy Buy Back 2011″ and you’ll get a list of spots. (Add your city into the search for more specific results.)

3. Send it to troops. Operation Gratitude will accept candy between 10/1 and 10/5. Their address is:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17730 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, CA  91406

attn: Rich Hernandez

4. Donate it to a local youth group. I often take our leftover candy to our church’s teen group. They usually consider themselves “too cool” to trick-or-treat, so they aren’t facing the same overconsumption that younger kids are. High school youth groups may also be happy to take it off your hands!

5. Freeze it. Pop it in the freezer and use it for holiday cooking (which is coming all too soon…).

6. Pack a shoebox. Our family has participated in Samaritan’s Purse for several years. They encourage the inclusion of hard candy, mints, and other travel-friendly sweets as the shoeboxes journey to underprivileged kids world-wide. We’ll be setting aside specific candy for this purpose.

If you have more ideas for creative uses for leftover Halloween candy, please leave a comment! I’d love to hear.

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