10 genius ways to deal with all that Halloween candy

1. We keep some favourites, but the rest I take to work and leave in the break room. I work in a hospital, and the nurses love the extra snacks to get them through long shifts. — Brenda Wilson, Petawawa, Ont.

2. We sort through the candy, put aside ones that will work for decorations on gingerbread houses and freeze them until Christmastime. — Sandy Martin, New Hamburg, Ont.

3. We remove all of the candies that my kids are allergic to and then give them each a snack-sized sealable bag of their favourites to go in their lunches. The rest is given to the “switch witch” who takes their candy and gives them a toy in return. The candy goes to our local dentist who donates a pound of apples to the food bank for every pound of candy he collects. — Alisha Brignall, Calgary

4. I let my daughter have a few pieces every day. After a month, when she’s tired of candy, I put it out when we have friends over for games nights. — Sara Miles, Winnipeg

5. If it makes it past the hubby and me, I bake with it. Chocolate gets smashed up for chocolate-chip cookies, and hard candy becomes toppings for cupcakes or ice cream. — Rebecca Howat, Roslin, Ont

6. They get to eat a few pieces of candy a day for the first two weeks, then they trade it in for dinner out at their choice of restaurant. — Keri Christopherson Emann, Red Deer, Alta.

7. I pack up leftover candy and include it with a bag of non-perishable food items to drop off at a local food bank. — Helen Borodajluk, Ottawa

8. Each kid gets his own bowl to dump it in when we get home. They have a few pieces that night and then the rest goes into their dessert “bank.” If they’ve eaten all of their supper or finished a chore, they get to choose a piece. The candy lasts longer, and we have no upset stomachs from gorging. — Heather Mitchell-Adams, Smiths Falls, Ont.

9. My daughter’s birthday is just after Halloween, so I use the leftover candy in a piñata for her party. — Christine Statham, Moncton, NB

10. Our dental hygienist suggested letting them go nuts the first night, so it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet until bedtime. The idea is to get it over with, instead of doling the candy out in bits for weeks. — Jill Sacks Hulley, Red Deer, Alta.

This article was originally published online in October 2013.