MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Halloween is just two days away, so get ready for your kids to bring home a pillowcase full of this stuff.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #1: Nerds Gummy Clusters. Unleash your senses.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #2: New Reese's Caramel Big Cup.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing) Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo.
MARTIN: From TV commercials to your kids trick or treat bags, candy is everywhere right now. So is it OK for children to binge on it just for one night?
ALISON CHIANG: This is a great opportunity to teach kids to listen to their bodies and how to indulge in a healthful way.
MARTIN: That's Alison Chiang, a pediatrician at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
CHIANG: And maybe when they have a little bit of a tummy ache or don't feel so great the next day, they'll remember that maybe they shouldn't have had so much in one sitting.
MARTIN: Even though we all know that too much sugar is bad for us, Dr. Chiang says Halloween is not the day to worry about it.
CHIANG: It is hard enough as a parent to just kind of get your kids through the day - dressed, healthy, happy. I don't think we need to be worrying about the exact content of a piece of candy.
MARTIN: But Dr. Chiang hopes families who are offering Halloween candy think of the kids out there with food allergies.
CHIANG: There's an option to always provide non-candy or non-food treats, so things like stickers or toys.
MARTIN: If you're trying to stave off sugar rushes after Halloween, here's what Dr. Chiang suggests telling your kids.
CHIANG: You can have what you feel comfortable eating tonight, and we are going to then save 10 of your favorite pieces of candy.
MARTIN: Dr. Chiang says the rest can be spirited away by the switch witch.
CHIANG: Similar to an Easter bunny, similar to a tooth fairy. You put your candy out in the middle of the night, and the switch witch will come and take that candy and give you something else, some sort of other treat.
MARTIN: Or you can do what most of us do, take it to work for the next month, where we eat it ourselves.
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