New Delta Dental Analysis Breaks Down Halloween Candy Giving Trends
Delta Dental of Minnesota

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October 19th, 2015

New Delta Dental Analysis Breaks Down Halloween Candy Giving Trends

Good News: Candy Giving Expected to Be Up This Halloween

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (October 19, 2015) – If current trends hold, there could be some good news on the horizon for kids across the United States this Halloween. Households giving out candy will be up this year, while parents eating their kids’ Halloween candy will take a steep nosedive. All according to a new analysis by Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), a group that pays keen attention to details and trends around candy consumption.

Candy giving increase: According to the analysis, candy giving will be up 5% this year. In 2013, 73% of parents gave out candy, based on a new 2015 Delta Dental survey, 78% of parents say they’ll hand out candy this year.

Less parental looting: In 2013, nearly 80% of parents admitted to eating some of their kids’ Halloween candy, this year marks a sharp decrease, with only 66% of parents saying they’ll pilfer from the Halloween haul. Moms are more likely than dads (71% v 61%) to raid their child’s Halloween candy.

Bad news for chocolate lovers: While chocolate continues to top the charts this year as the most handed out Halloween candy, 14% fewer parents say they’ll be giving it to trick-or-treaters. In 2013, 73% of parents gave out chocolate on Halloween, this year that number has dropped to 59%.

Fewer household rules on candy consumption: The number of parents limiting the amount of Halloween candy their child can eat at a time has decreased by 28%, from 89% in 2013, to 61% this year, according to the analysis.

On the heels of the analysis, DDPA is also releasing some quick tips to combat all that sugar consumption:

  • Eat dinner before trick-or-treating. If your children have full bellies, they may be less likely to overindulge in candy when they get home.
  • Enjoy Halloween candy after a meal to take advantage of increased saliva production and help wash away sugar and bacteria left by candy.
  • Make sure your children drink extra water to stay hydrated during trick-ortreating and to help wash away sugar that may otherwise cause tooth decay.
  • Remind children to brush for two minutes and floss after they dig into their trick-or-treat bags. Practicing good oral hygiene will help keep their mouths clean and their teeth free of decay.

To learn more about oral health and its impact on overall health, please visit DeltaDentalMN.org.

About Delta Dental of Minnesota:

Delta Dental of Minnesota is an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit health services company that serves the oral health needs of Minnesota and North Dakota residents. Since 1969, Delta Dental of Minnesota has accomplished this mission by providing the best access across the state to oral health care through affordable dental plans. Delta Dental is an authorized licensee of the Delta Dental Plans Association of Oak Brook, Illinois.