HEALTHY HALLOWEEN: NURTITIOUS SWAPS FOR SPOOKY TREATS
HEALTHY HALLOWEEN: NURTITIOUS SWAPS FOR SPOOKY TREATS
Halloween is a fun and festive holiday that comes with pumpkins, costumes, and sweet treats. While Halloween should be a fun celebration and gathering, it typically comes with over consumption, sugar overload, and unhealthy eating. Celebrating Halloween does not mean that you need to throw your child’s healthy eating aside. With some creativity and planning, Halloween can be just as enjoyable with some simple healthy alternatives to sugary sweets.
TIPS FOR A BALANCED HALLOWEEN
It is important that your child enjoys and partakes in Halloween activities to feel included and have fun. Candy may not be completely unavoidable, but you can use it as an opportunity to teach your child balance. Set expectations by allowing your child to choose a certain number of candy pieces to enjoy on Halloween night, and save the rest. You can also let your child ‘trade in’ candy for either a small toy or activity. Also, go through the collected candy pile with your child to get rid of anything that is unwrapped, unsafe, or overly excessive.
DARK CHOCOLATE VS MILK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate is a delicious and healthful alternative to milk chocolate. Milk chocolate candy options are full of sugar and additives. Dark chocolate options contain 70% of cacao or more and are rich in flavor and offer nutritional benefits as well. It contains significantly less sugar than milk chocolate, so that you can avoid that post-candy crash. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants and magnesium. This means that it can support heart health, reduce inflammation, and help to reduce stress when eaten in moderate amounts.
HEALTHIER PACKAGE OPTIONS
When shopping for Halloween treats you can skip the candy aisle completely. There are plenty of pre-packaged alternatives that are not sugary candy. These options are still convenient and many are allergy friendly. Here are some tasteful options when taking into consideration your child’s nutrition and keeping the Halloween spirit alive.
- Freeze dried fruit
- Individual popcorn or pretzel bags
- Create mini trail mix bags (dried fruit, pretzels, whole grain cereal, optional nuts and seeds)
- Organic fruit leather or fruit snacks
- Non-food treats such as Halloween stickers, pencils, erasers, mini bubbles, and glow sticks
- Freeze dried fruit
- Individual popcorn or pretzel bags
- Create mini trail mix bags (dried fruit, pretzels, whole grain cereal, optional nuts and seeds)
- Organic fruit leather or fruit snacks
- Non-food treats such as Halloween stickers, pencils, erasers, mini bubbles, and glow sticks
HOMEMADE TREATS
Homemade Halloween treats can be just as fun as the traditional festive options. Not only does homemade treats create healthier and nutritious options, but they are fun Halloween activities for kids to take part in. By using whole and real ingredients such as fruits, nuts, and natural sweeteners, you can create ‘candy alternatives’ that are both festive and nutritious. Here is one great treat option that your child will love:
FROZEN BANANA GHOSTS
INGREDIENTS:
- Bananas
- Popsicle Sticks
- Shredded Coconut
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt
PREPARATION:
- Melt half of the dark chocolate in a bowl
- Cut bananas in half and place on popsicle sticks
- Coat in vanilla greek yogurt, then roll in coconut shavings so that the entire banana is covered
- Add dots of the melted dark chocolate for where you want to place the dark chocolate pieces to create the eyes and mouth
- Freeze and enjoy.
