I read statisticians are predicting Americans will spend “about” $3.5 billion this year on Halloween candy. Believe it or not, this is down slightly from last year. Still, that’s a lot of candy. And from my experience, children are not the only ones who delight in all those sweets.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy having grandkids and other children arrive at my door in their imaginative costumes. Sometimes I’ve even convinced my husband to dress for the occasion. He’s a pretty good sport as long as he can wear his cowboy hat.

Last year we dressed up as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I thought it was a great idea until most of the under-40 crowd we know looked curiously at us and said, “who?”

Apparently we can blame trick-or-treating on the Irish and Scots, where the tradition of going house to house in costumes for treats goes back at least as far as the 16th century, according to Wikipedia. And the phrase “trick-or-treat” which implies that you’d better hand over the goodies if you don’t want to be subjected to a prank, was first recorded in Canada in the early 1900s.

So … should we contribute to our little darlings’ tooth decay and sugar high for the sake of tradition? That’s a personal choice. Whether we choose to invest in Halloween or not, we do have options. One is to turn off your porch light and hide in the basement. Another is to ease your guilt with healthier snacks such as small boxes of raisins or individual packages of popcorn.

Our small town sponsors a “Trunk-or-Treat” event downtown in which our local hospital and other businesses give out safe treats for kiddos in costumes.

Another program started in 1950 is called “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” (United Nations Children’s Fund) www.unicefusa.org. Instead of asking for candy, children go door-to-door with UNICEF boxes to collect money for the support of needy youngsters around the world. (I suspect I’d still offer them some treats if they came to my door).

And I recently learned of “Trick-or-Eat” – a play on words for older youth to dress in costumes to collect food donations for local food banks. Good idea.

It’s true that all that candy has no redeeming nutritional value for kids. But kids do look forward to dressing up and going out with friends and family. We grownups can keep them safe by selecting where they go and limiting how much is “enough.”

I do confess, though. I adore seeing all the little ghosts and goblins, pirates and princesses coming up to my door with looks of anticipation on their faces. I just hope they brush their teeth when they get home.

Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist and syndicated columnist. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition: The Uncomplicated Science of Eating.” Email her at [email protected].