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When the days get shorter and the leaves begin to turn, kids can almost taste the sweetness that's only a few weeks away: bags and bags of Halloween candy. But for kids with diabetes, even the ones dressed as Superman, candy can be kryptonite. Trying to completely eliminate Halloween candy is ghastly for any kid, but by incorporating a healthy Halloween plan early-on, your ghost or ghoul will be able to stay safe and enjoy the day.

Do Your Homework
If there are school activities, then it's best to prepare yourself, your child, teachers and nurses with carbohydrate counts for the varied serving sizes of popular candies and sweets. It is especially important to share this information with those who will be supervising any spooky celebrations. At a school party or on the trick-or-treating route, even the most considerate friend can make a mistake. Don't let teachers or other supervisors be tricked into thinking that a cookie or snack bar is a diabetes-friendly treat. Sugar-free usually means a higher carbohydrate count, which can make managing the day even more difficult.

Be Prepared
Trick-or-treating around your neighborhood can take longer than expected, and can take you far from home. Be sure that your child's costume is practical enough so they can carry their insulin and sugar tabs. It is always best that younger trick-or-treaters be supervised, but if your princess or pirate is venturing off on their own, then make sure they are aware of what is safe to eat and when to eat it. But, it's always best to not let any child eat any candy before you can inspect it.

Take an Inventory of the Bag
The most difficult time to be responsible about intake will likely be when kids get a look at their candy booty. Depending on your child's age, taking an inventory of the bag can be an educational opportunity. Dole out the candy piece by piece, assigning a carbohydrate count to each and discussing the nutritional facts. Extra candy can be saved for the coming weeks, and a number of organizations and business offer opportunities to trade your candy for other food or even toys! Halloween requires special attention for anyone with diabetes. But with proper planning and a great costume, there's no reason to miss out on the fun.

This list should help you get started in planning for the carbohydrates in some typical Halloween candy. Please note that some are listed by box or bag, others by individual candy. You should always check the labels before deciding what to eat.

Candy Name	Carbs	Candy Name	Carbs
Hershey Kiss	3g each	Jelly Beans	1g each
Hershey Miniatures	5g each	Juju fruits	2g each
Reece's Peanut Butter Cup		Gummy Bears	4g each
mini	4g each	Starburst	4g each
Regular	14g each	Tootsie Rolls	5g each
Crunch (fun size)	7g each	Jawbreakers	5g each
Twix (fun size)	10g each	Smarties	5g/roll
Kit Kat	10g/half	Jolly Rancher	6g each
Snickers (fun size)	12g each	Dum Dum Lollipop	6g each
Mars (fun size)	12g each	Bazooka Gum	7g each
3 Musketeers (fun size)	13g each	Chuckles	10g each
Milky Way (fun size)	14g each	Tootsie Pop	12g/pop
Butterfinger (fun size)	15g each	Lemonhead	14g/10 pieces
Goobers	20g/1.4oz bag	Candy Corn	18g/12 pieces
Reece's Pieces	24g/1.7oz bag	Cracker Jacks	29g/1.25oz box
Peanuts M&Ms	30g/1.7oz bag	Twizzlers	30g/1oz pack
Fun Size	13g/0.7oz bag	Good and Fruity	35g/box
Raisinetes	33g/1.7oz bag	Junior Mints	38g/1.6 oz box
M&Ms	34g/1.7oz bag	Skittles	39g/1.5oz bag

Table copied with permission from The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center