The excitement of Halloween is building, and children can’t wait to put on their costumes and go get candy — lots of it.

But whoa, obviously they shouldn’t eat too much of it when they get home. One, they probably already dug in while they were out trick-or-treating. Two, parents need to check the candy to make sure it’s all safe. And three, too much sugar isn’t healthy. So what is a healthy amount?

Marissa Wagner, a registered dietitian at ShopRite in Brodheadsville, said the American Heart Association suggests limiting the amount of sugar to between 3 to 6 teaspoons (12-25 grams) per day for children depending on their age and the amount of calories they need per day.

In order to get an idea of what that means, Wagner said, “One 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar.”

And for the grown-ups rummaging through their children’s candy, the AHA “recommends that men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day,” Wagner said.

Doesn’t sound like feasting on candy Halloween night is a good thing.

Wagner said that how much candy a child can consume also depends on the size of the candy pieces. For instance, a chocolate kiss is much smaller than a king-size candy bar, which is not one serving. It actually has multiple servings in it.

Wagner recommends checking the nutrition facts label on the package or looking it up online. And it’s important to realize that not all fun sizes are the same. They “can vary from 90-150 calories and can contain anywhere from 9-20 grams per serving,” she said.

No parent wants to be the “bad guy” with their children on Halloween night, so Wagner had some suggestions of how to compromise with the little goblins and princesses.

“There are many ways parents can moderate the amount of candy intake for their kids,” she said. “Some parents often do take it in to work, but other parents space out how much and when they give leftover Halloween candy to their kids.”

She suggests placing a small piece of chocolate in each packed lunch for school. The candy could also be used as dessert after dinner. Or it can be made into a special dessert by pairing a piece of candy with some berries and whipped topping.

“It is all about moderation and what works best for your family,” she said.

Wagner also had some tips for making trick-or-treating a healthier experience.

• Eat a good meal, like soup and sandwiches, before going out trick-or-treating to avoid snacking along the way.

• Walk instead of driving to different neighborhoods to include some physical exercise into the event.

• And after trick-or-treating, separate the candy and divide it up so everyone can enjoy it for several weeks.

For people who would like to hand out healthier snacks for Halloween, Wagner suggests a product like Hippeas organic chickpea puffs. They are like cheese puffs, but made from chickpeas.

And for people who want to provide trick-or-treaters with an alternative to food, especially families with children with food allergies, there’s the Teal Pumpkin Project, Wagner said. The kit contains teal paint to use to paint a pumpkin teal and 24 nonfood treats. It’s an easy way to let those families know which houses have nonfood items.