Healthy Halloween

Halloween is the perfect time for celebrating with friends and family, but hosting a Halloween party doesn’t have to center around candy, chocolate, or sugary snacks.  Treat your guests this year with some of these nutritious, yet still delicious party ideas.

Serve up some fun, yet still healthy dishes

• Ghoulish Dip.  Serve low fat black bean dip with baked sweet potato chips, orange bell pepper slices and carrots.
• Bug Bites:  Spread peanut butter on whole grain crackers, use raisins as bug eyes and place pretzels to resemble insect legs.
• Ants on a log.  Celery sticks topped with peanut butter and finished off with raisins
• Graveyard dessert.  Spread low fat chocolate pudding in a 13x9 inch baking tray.  Use graham cracker squares to resemble tombstones, then decorate with shredded coconut and candy corns.  Just before serving, drop reduced fat whipped topping on the pudding to resemble ghosts.
• Fright-free popcorn. This makes a great high fiber snack. Be sure to use a 94% fat free or air-popped variety, and toss in a few orange and black M&M’s for a festive look.
• Fruit Spears. Thread orange and green fruits, such as cantaloupe and green grapes, on wooden skewers to resemble pumpkin colors. Serve with low-fat caramel dip.
• Pumpkin-face pizza. Bbuy a prepared whole-wheat pizza crust, spread with marinara sauce, then arrange low fat mozzarella cheese triangles to resemble a jack-o'-lanterns grinning face.
• Magic Muffins. Serve low-fat pumpkin muffins or bread with apple butter or reduced-fat cream.

What fun would a party be without games?

• Bobbing for apples is a fun activity that everyone can enjoy, kids and adults, and the best part is that the winning prize is good for you.
• Decorate pumpkins.  Buy mini pumpkins and have your guests create different faces on their pumpkin.  Award winning prizes for the scariest, funniest, and most creative ones.

Get creative with party favors

Including some candy is okay, but balance out your trick-or-treat bags with some healthy alternatives.  Small bags of pretzels, raisins, all-fruit roll ups, sugarless gum, peanuts or pistachios, granola bars, and 100% juice boxes are just a few ideas. 

Andy why not make your Halloween bags a little different this year?  Add some pencils, erasers, coloring books, crayons, activity books, chalk, stickers, baseball cards, or even pony tail holders, the kids are sure to love it!

Remember that all foods fit in moderation, so allowing kids to enjoy a little candy at Halloween is okay.  Healthy eating is not about what you do in one day, it is about teaching good eating habits that both you and your family can follow all year long.