When you’re faced with the constant push of Halloween candy, what can you do to still make the season fun but also healthy? There are so many fall treats and activities that you can enjoy with your family that can also help you stay on track for your weight loss goals. Everyone knows that pumpkin picking is an essential fall outing, but apple picking is also a great seasonal activity for families and groups where the reward is a healthy snack. Kids will love picking them, and it will make eating them a special occasion every time you’re looking for a snack afterwards. When it comes time to carve pumpkins, don’t just throw away the insides. Save the seeds and bake them in the oven for a tasty snack that is also full of antioxidants and minerals, like zinc. And getting them fresh from the pumpkin means no added salt.
Another fun snack to make with your kids is Halloween Trail mix. The basic ingredients are Cheerios, nuts, pretzels, raisins and a little bit of Candy Corn, but you can mix it up with whatever flavor Cheerios you like and any kind of nut, or nuts. You can also add some reduced fat popcorn to the mix. Another candy corn themed treat is a Candy Corn Fruit Cocktail. Just cut pineapples and oranges (or Clementine wedges) into bit-sized chucks, and then layer pineapple then orange in a see through cup with a little whipped cream on top.
Don’t let the orange peels go to waste – you can use them to make Jack-O-Lantern Fruit Cups. Just cut off the top of the orange and hallow it out, then carve a face onto the orange like a Jack-O-Lantern and fill with the fresh fruit of your choosing, like strawberries, grapes and blueberries.
Clementines also make perfect mini pumpkins if you peel them and keep them whole then add a piece of celery to the top as a stem. You can keep going with the fresh fruit with banana ghosts – just cut some bananas in half and add two chocolate chips for eyes and one for a mouth on each half near the end of the banana.
A fun savory dish that could be a great dinner option is Halloween Stuffed Peppers. Simply carve a Jack-O-Lantern face onto the peppers and replaced the top after you carve out the seeds and then cook them as usual.
These recipes are all about putting a healthy spin on Halloween snacks, but also about something more than food. Your kids may try something new, and be proud of something that they picked or made from scratch. It’s more than just unwrapping a piece of candy, you’re preparing something together and eating something you won’t feel guilty about. While it is important to remember to eat healthy, it is also important to enjoy this time with your family. And with these ideas you can do both.
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
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