October 24, 2022
Healthy Halloween Treats You (And Your Kids) Will Love!
Want to see something super scary this Halloween? Look at the nutrition label on your kids’ candy bars. Oh no!
Holidays are always a fun time of year. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually filled with family traditions, fun, and of course lots of FOOD! But when you hear the word Halloween, you probably don’t put healthy in the same sentence.
It’s really no secret that candies and other holiday treats on your local grocery shelves are full of added sugar and other processed ingredients. But they just taste so good, so it’s super easy to reach for that extra piece of chocolate over something more nutrient dense.
Hosting a dinner party or heading to a friend’s Halloween party this year? You don’t have to go off the rails when a holiday comes rearing its head. And you don’t have to opt for a box of raisins to keep it healthy. Instead, with a little creativity, you can have fun with it! Whether it’s sweet potatoes, deviled eggs or anything pumpkin spice, there’s always a way to incorporate your favorite treat into a healthier recipe. (And still have it taste good!)
Try whipping up some easy healthy Halloween themed snacks, like a peanut butter and jelly spider sandwich. Have your kiddos get involved, too! The more they’re part of the creation process, the more likely they’ll be to choose their sweet (and healthy) treat over sugar-filled candy corn.
Healthy Halloween Recipes
It doesn’t take much to make a nutritious Halloween treat. Just a few simple tricks will get you a great heart healthy snack that will also make a splash at your next gathering.
True Orange Yogurt Dressing & Dip
Grab your favorite fruits and whip up this delicious yogurt dip to go with it. The kids will have so much fun cutting fruit into Halloween shapes. Try this Halloween fruit salad recipe and you’re all set for a side dish with sweetness.
Ingredients:
· ¼ cup avocado-oil based mayonnaise
· ¼ cup grass-fed organic plain yogurt
· 4 packets True Orange + 2 tbsp water
· 2 tsp honey
· 1 tsp salt
· 1 dash of white pepper
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Serve over fruit salad or in a side dish to dip with fresh sliced fruit.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
If you’re carving up pumpkins this year or scraping them out for a homemade pumpkin pie, you may have a lot of seeds left on your hands. Before throwing them out, try putting them to use! Pumpkin seeds are a delicious and healthy snack. Read up on our favorite ways to use your leftover pumpkin seeds and try this recipe.
Directions:
1. Rinse pumpkin seeds in a colander and pick off remaining pumpkin strings.
2. Lay the seeds on a cookie sheet to dry overnight and clean off any remaining pumpkin pieces the next day.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
4. Toss the pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin.
5. Bake seeds in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and stir on the sheet, then replace in the oven and bake for another 10-20 minutes until golden brown.
6. Sprinkle with True Lime Garlic and Cilantro seasoning blend just before serving.
Zesty True Lime Guacamole
Kids love playing with their food, and creating characters is sure to get them excited for something nourishing! Continue the theme with this witchy guacamole dip. Use black chips to create the hat, shredded carrots for the hair and other veggies you can slice up to create the face. Serve with a side of chips and sliced veggies for dipping. Here’s our favorite recipe for this tasty treat.
Ingredients:
· 3 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
· 3 packets True Lime
· 1 tsp salt
· ½ cup diced onion
· 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
· 2 roma tomatoes, diced
· 1 tsp minced garlic
· ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
· Dash of hot sauce
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mash together avocados, True Lime packets and salt.
2. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes and garlic.
3. Stir in cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
4. Refrigerate for one hour or serve immediately.
The Green Monster Tropical Smoothie
For something sweet, blend up this scrumptious smoothie and turn it into a Halloween delight! Use a dry erase marker to draw a monster face on the outside of the glass for a festive look.
Ingredients:
· 1 medium frozen banana
· 2 cups baby spinach
· ½ cup frozen mango
· ½ cup frozen pineapple
· 2 packets True Orange
· 1 cup cold water
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend well.
2. Top with fresh fruit if desired.
3. Serve and enjoy!
Mummy Cookies
It’s a wrap on these creepy cookies! Give them a little spin with few squeezes of frosting on top and mini chocolate chips to create this yummy mummy from eatingbirdfood.com. For a citrus burst, add a few packets of True Lemon in with the ingredients during mixing.
Ingredients:
· 1 ½ cups almond flour
· 3 tbsp coconut flour
· 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
· 1 tsp baking soda
· ¼ tsp sea salt
· 2 eggs
· ½ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
· 1 tsp vanilla
· 1 cup pumpkin, canned or homemade
· 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
· Vanilla frosting, for piping
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together dry ingredients (flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, sea salt) in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix together wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla) in a separate bowl.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. The dough will seem wet, this is OK.
5. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.6. Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop dough and place cookies on cookie sheet. Press down into cookie shape with spoon. Space cookies one inch apart.7. Bake for 15 minutes and move to wire rack to cool.8.Add frosting (pipe from bag) and overlap lines to make mummy, until most of cookie is covered. Place two dots and top with chocolate chips for eyes.
Hot Bourbon Apple Cider
And as a bonus treat for the adults, put a little twist on your apple cider with a special added ingredient. (Of course, you can always leave the bourbon out to make it kid-friendly!)
Ingredients:
· 1 packet True Lemon Kids Crisp Apple
· 2 ounces bourbon of your choice
· Rosemary sprig for garnish
Directions:
1. Fill a mug with 6 ounces of hot water. Mix one packet of True Lemon Kids Crisp Apple until dissolved.
2. Add 2 ounces of bourbon and stir well.
3. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve hot. Enjoy!
Written by
Amy Cimo is a Nutrition Coach, Personal Trainer and Wellness Enthusiast based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After going through her own health journey, she found her passion in helping others find balance between nutrition, physical activity and mindset to live healthy and be truly happy. Amy attended Louisiana State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She became a Certified Personal Trainer in 2021 through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and a Certified Nutrition Coach in 2022 through Precision Nutrition.
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