Healthy Eats for Trick-or-Treat

Kid’s love trick-or-treating. It’s a chance to have fun, dress up and snack on sweet treats. With a little imagination you can create a healthier Halloween that’s just as fun -- and a little scary. So roll up your sleeves and get the kids in the kitchen with these healthy Halloween snack ideas.

The Monster Mouth
Ingredients: 4 thick green apples slices, 1 cup nut butter, slivered almonds
Spread 2 tablespoons of nut butter onto wide edge of apple. Place a second apple slice on top. Insert slivered almonds into nut butter to look like fangs.

Pizza Mummies
Ingredients: 1 whole-wheat toasted English muffin, ¼ cup pizza sauce, ¼ cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 black olives (sliced)
Spread pizza sauce on muffin in a thin layer. Have children sprinkle cheese in straight lines going across the top of the muffin, leaving an open line for eyes. Place sliced black olives in open line. Toast muffin again until cheese is melted and sauce is warmed through.

Cheese Fingers
Ingredients: 2 low-fat cheese sticks, 1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese, slivered almonds
Cut cheese sticks in half. Create creases in the “fingertips” by lightly marking them with a knife. For the fingernail, attach a slivered almond to the cheese stick with a dab of cream cheese.

Strawberry Ghosts
Ingredients: 1 cup whole strawberries (stems removed and washed), 1 cup white chocolate, ½ cup milk chocolate, toothpicks
Melt white chocolate pieces in a microwave and keep warm in a bowl. Dip strawberries into chocolate and place on baking sheet to dry. Melt milk chocolate and keep warm in bowl. With toothpick, have children create ghost faces.

Egg Eyeballs
Ingredients: 2 eggs (hard boiled), 2 tablespoons ketchup, sliced black olives, toothpicks
Slice hard boiled eggs in half, leaving yolk in the center. Put about 2 tablespoons of ketchup onto a plate or small bowl. Using toothpicks have children create red squiggly veins coming out from the center of the eye with ketchup. Place a small drop of ketchup in the center of the yolk to secure a sliced olive for the pupil. Serve these ghoulish snacks at Halloween parties, before or after trick-or-treating, or in the classroom. Practice portion control with candies and chocolates. Enjoy them in moderation.

Have a happy, healthy and safe Halloween.