Leftover Halloween Candy, and a Reader Asks: Is 73 Too Late?
Written by: Meredith Paci | Functional Health Coach
Happy November!!! If you are in the US or Canada, the clocks went back last night, so I hope you got to use that extra hour however you needed!
Yesterday was my first Halloween in my new neighborhood, and I learned quickly that Halloween here is a big deal. As the month went on, I swear I could see some start to panic and add more every day ha ha. By this week, one house had so much fake spiderweb poured over everything that you could barely tell what was underneath. It was wild!
I am not a Halloween girlie. I love fall! However, I was excited and was into the the hype. I bought a big bag of candy at Costco, then worried I would not have enough, then worried about kids with nut allergies or kids who do not like chocolate, so I bought a second big bag of nothing but chewy and sour candy. I had my black $9 (super cute) basket from Target ready to go. I even made my dinner early so I would be ready when the doorbell started ringing. I went so far to actually google when treating began typically in my area.
Around 5:30 pm I went for a walk, and the main street of our neighborhood looked like a parade, kids everywhere. Eeeeekkkk it was time! I hustled back home in case I was missing anyone. I even, brace yourself, sat on the front porch to wait.
Nothing happened.
Final count: zero trick-or-treaters. I have never laughed so hard! The only thing that could have made this moment more hysterical would have been if I had actually dressed up. I called my husband to ask if it would be too "stranger danger" to walk down the main street with my basket and hand out candy. He confirmed: "Babe, don't do it." So here we are, folks, with two Costco-sized bags of candy.
If you are also sitting on leftover candy
Most packaged candy keeps somewhere between six to nine months although SOME can stretch to a year, depending on the type. The date on the package is mostly about taste and quality. Chocolate, and anything with nuts or peanut butter, changes in flavor and texture as it ages, so if you were planning to hold onto it until next Halloween, I would think twice. That said, you do you!
A few better uses, with US Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's coming up:
- Gingerbread house decorating: chewy and sour candies are made for this.
- Advent calendars or stocking stuffers: an easy home for anything.
- Baking: chop chocolate bars into cookies or brownies, use them as toppers for cakes or cupcakes, or make holiday bark.
- The freezer: chocolate freezes well, and out of sight means it is not on the counter every time you walk by.
- Donating: some dental offices run candy buyback programs that ship candy to troops overseas. Food banks and shelters may take sealed candy too, but call first, since policies vary.
- Adopting a Family or Child: Drop a few candies into a stocking, tie some on to packages.
- Holiday parties: a bowl for the table, or small gift bags for neighbors and guests.
On the topic of how long food keeps, I likely will need to write a newsletter on leftovers and food safety. It comes up often in my client work with digestive issues. BUT just to ensure I state this now.... the smell test is not a reliable way to tell whether food is safe. And respectfully, if you are smelling it or even analyzing the quality...what are we even doing? More on that soon.
When is it too late?
Candy has a point where it is too late. Food overall has a point where it should not be consumed. The idea of "too late" brings me to a question that came in through the Ask Fortify form a couple of weeks ago. A reader told me her friend is 73 and believes she is too old for the kind of treatment the reader is getting. Her group of friends, in their late 60s and early 70s, and "eems to be in the same place I was when I first met with you, she thinks she is too old for the kind of treatment I am getting. Is she?".
My answer is no, and the blog explains why.
That said, this blog is for more than women in their 70s. If you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, it applies to you too. If you coach women, or love one, it applies to you as well.
Have a question?
This newsletter started with a reader question. If you have one, send it through the Ask Fortify anonymous form [HERE].
Enjoy the extra hour, and the candy, in moderation.
Mere & Sarah
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed medical provider. This newsletter is for education only and is not medical advice.
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