A Healthier Halloween Guide

If you are looking for ideas on how to have a healthy halloween this year, look no further! This candy-filled holiday doesn’t have to be full of sugar and energy crashes for you or the kids. Here are some tips to still keep the holiday fun while also cutting sugar and adding nutritious options!

This is the perfect opportunity to get the kids involved in the kitchen! The more they are, the more likely they will eat all the things you make together (it’s a good way to sneak in more veggies for more picky eaters too) Try out some of these fun and nutrient-rich recipes to make the most of the spooky season this month!

• Candy corn smoothies/ice pops
  • Orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut or almond milk 

• Veggie skeleton and dip 

• Homemade scary pizzas 

If you are still looking for ideas to celebrate, and don’t necessarily want to be in the kitchen as much, try turning your house into a place of adventure by creating a haunted hunt- think of a scavenger hunt but with a spooky, haunted theme. 

Prep all of the ingredients in the kitchen and then when you are ready for the hunt, hide all the ingredients around the house in ziplock bags or tupperware (you can wrap them up with fake spider webs or construction paper if you want to go all out). Give the kids a list of the ingredients for their spooky activity to find! (make up clues of where they are hidden if you want to make it more fun) Have the kids collect them in a bucket or bowl and then when they finish the hunt, bring everything to the kitchen and make the recipe! 

Goal: find all the ingredients to make a spooky snack/magic potion/witches brew 

Items to hide (in baggies or tupperwares you can decorate or disguise) – with your kids, make up what each item could be to make it more spooky- see examples below…

• Spooky Snack: Chocolate dipped apples
  • Apples (the more tart, the better) – example: pretend its a poison apple
  • Gummy worms (black forest brand)- example: pretend they are real worms
  • Mini chocolate chips (enjoy life brand): pretend they are insect eyes
  • Crushed gluten-free graham crackers or pretzels (Pamelas or Kinnikinnick grahams or From the ground up or Snyders pretzels)- example: pretend it is dirt or dust 
  • Dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, strawberries): pretend they are shriveled up bugs 
  • Coconut (if no allergy)
  • Sunbutter- drizzle over top 
  • Chopped nuts (if no allergy)
  • Granola (made good, bakery on main, purely elizabeth, Udi’s- gluten-free)
  • Apple skewer sticks
  • 1 (10 oz.) bag dark chocolate chunks (enjoylife brand)
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut oil
  • Instructions: 
    • Prepare your station by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, and laying out your toppings in small bowls 
    • Place each apple on the baking sheet, pick off the stems, and place the skewer right in the center, making sure not to poke all the way through to the other side. 
    • Fill up a saucepan with water about halfway, and place a pyrex-like mixing bowl on top to create a double-boiler. 
    • Add the bag of chocolate chips and coconut oil to the bowl and begin to heat the water below to where it is simmering, not boiling, and maintain low heat to steam the bowl above to melt the chocolate. Continuously stir the chocolate so all the chunks get melted.  
    • Once completely melted, dip each apple in the chocolate mixture and use a spoon to pour over the top to get the chocolate to stick all the way around. 
    • Place the chocolate covered apple back on the parchment paper tray and sprinkle/stick toppings on each one. 
    • Place the tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, peel off the parchment, and enjoy! 
• Witch’s brew slushie https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/5-minute-slushie-aka-diy-slushy-magic/ 
  • 1 cup sparkling fruit juice (Martinelli’s organic, Whole foods brand, Organics brand- orange is preferable for color or red/purple grape): pretend it is the potion base
  • 1-2 cups Ice cubes 
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt 
  • Toppings (pomegranate seeds- bloody teeth, blood orange slices, chocolate chips, gummy worms) 
  • 1 Quart size ziploc bag + 1 sandwich size ziploc bag 
  • Instructions:
    • Place the salt and ice cubes in the larger ziplock bag and prop open.
    • Pour the juice into the smaller bag and seal shut. Make sure to get out as much air as possible and seal it tight! 
    • Place the juice bag on top of the ice in the larger bag. Seal the larger bag tight, also squeezing out the air. 
    • Now, start to shake the bag vigorously for at least 3-5 minutes, until it starts to turn to slush!- the longer you shake, the more solid it will be.
    • When done shaking, open up the bags and pour the slush into a cup. Add your toppings and enjoy your spooky treat!

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