Halloween is all about being spooky, but for parents, the amount of junk food involved can be
Photo courtesy of Catherine McCord at Weelicious
the most bone-chilling part.
Of course, candy and other sweet treats are a huge part of the trick-or-treating tradition, but not every Halloween food’s calorie count or sugar content has to be frightening. Even fruits and vegetables can be fun treats.
Lauren Blake, nutritionist at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, has suggestions for nutritional treats that are easy to put together and every bit as exciting and holiday-themed as more traditional snacks.
Banana Ghosts
Peel a banana, cut it in half – so that each half is vaguely ghost-shaped – and use chocolate chips to create eyes and a mouth.
Bananas contain fiber and potassium and also taste very sweet, Blake says. Even the chocolate chips help make these some health-conscious ghosts.
“Combining them with a little bit of dark chocolate makes for a treat chock-full of antioxidants,” she says.
(www.weelicious.com)
Clementine Pumpkins
Peel a clementine or any small orange. For the pumpkin stem, stick a 1-inch piece of celery into the top of the orange.
“The sweetness of the oranges and crunch from the celery make the perfect pair,” Blake says.
Additionally, both celery and oranges are low-calorie foods that contain vitamins and minerals.
(weelicious.com)
Apple Monster Mouths
Photo by Sarah Sole
Cut an apple into four pieces, removing a wedge from each to serve as the mouth. Cover the
mouth with nut butter and then fill it with teeth: slivered almonds or other nuts.
This treat contains protein and healthful fats to balance out the apple’s sugars.
(www.ocmommagazine.com)
Candy Corn Fruit Parfait
Create the color scheme of candy corn by layering a clear cup with pineapple and mandarin
Photo by Sarah Sole
oranges (or clementine slices) topped with vanilla Greek yogurt. Pieces of candy corn can also be sprinkled on top.
In addition to being a source of carbohydrates, the parfait contains antioxidants from the fruit and protein from the Greek yogurt.
(www.familyfreshmeals.com)
Halloween Celebration
From 4-7 p.m. on Oct. 8, The Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany will offer a free Halloween celebration that includes treats that are both tasty and healthful. Costumes are encouraged.
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Christina Szuch is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
