Halloween Healthy
A trick-or-treat of delicious alternatives
By Karen Frye
When my girls were young, and Halloween was near, I would feel a bit of apprehension as the day got closer. I was certain that the root cause of most childhood maladies came from the overconsumption of sugar, artificial colors and preservatives; those topped the list of ingredients we tried to avoid.
But one of my daughters had another agenda. I will always remember the Halloween she went trick-or-treating with a friend, and filled a pillowcase with candy. She hid her stash in a drawer, and when I eventually found the pillowcase, it was mostly empty candy wrappers!
These days we don’t have to be quite as concerned. With increased awareness and availability, you can provide great treats for Halloween without the unwanted mystery ingredients. There are gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, preservative- and additive-free choices for children who must avoid these ingredients because of allergies. There are gummy worms and bears, lollipops, jelly beans and many healthier choices compared with the corn syrup-rich candies that flood the market.
If you are creative and want to have a little party for the occasion, even for grown-up goblins, here are some spooky snacks you can make that everyone will love to eat:
Veggie Skeleton Make a very tasty skeleton out of celery and carrot sticks as the arms and legs, broccoli as the feet and hands; a small bowl of hummus or veggie dip for the head with olive slices as the eyes and mouth; curly kale as the hair; sliced mushrooms or cucumbers for the hips; and red bell pepper slices for the ribcage. Your family will love this and the kids might enjoy helping create this masterpiece.
Banana Ghosts Peel bananas and cut them in half at the middle. Place on a plate on the flat end of the banana. Decorate with little chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth.
Fruit Monsters Cut strawberries into slivers (these are the tongues). Cut Granny Smith apples into quarters, removing the core. Carefully cut out the mouth from each quarter of the apple. One apple makes four monsters. Rub a little lemon juice on the apple, so it doesn’t turn brown. Spread your favorite nut butter on the inside of the apple mouths. Use sunflower seeds or sliced almonds as teeth on the top of the mouth. Place the strawberry tongue inside the mouth, using nut butter as glue. Use candy eyes (you can find these in the baking section) on the top of the apple.
YumEarth Organic Pops These non-GMO lollipops taste amazing. Your kids will never believe that they’re vegan. With flavors like Very Very Cherry, Wet-Face Watermelon, Strawberry Smash, Googly Grape and Perfectly Peach, you’re sure to please the little trick-or-treaters coming to your door.
Make your Halloween a healthy one. PS
Karen Frye is the owner and founder of Nature’s Own and teaches yoga at
the Bikram Yoga Studio.
