Halloween is in a few short days (say what?!?)- are you ready for the tricks and treats of October 31st? Halloween treats are generally chalk full of sugar and unhealthy fats, leading to extreme sugar highs followed closely by a hard post-sugar crash. In an attempt to keep your little munchkins from turning into monsters this Halloween, we’ve compiled some healthier treats to replace those other not so healthy ones!
- Chocolate Dipped Fruit: Not only are these easy to make, but it allows for many different options to satisfy everyone! Dip a variety of fruits such as organic strawberries, bananas, kiwi, clementines, and apples. Top with unsweetened shredded coconut, sea salt, and/or chopped nuts- or drizzle some date caramel on top!
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: while these do have sugar in them, your kiddo (and you of course, since you’ll need to taste test one or two!) will be getting 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per cookie, making it a win in the nutrition department.
- Chocolate Truffles: with the main ingredients being chocolate chips, nut butter, and Greek yogurt, these give a boost of protein and antioxidants with each bite.
- Sweet Potato Brownies: made with avocado and sweet potato, these brownies have 13 grams of protein per serving and only 10 grams of sugar, making them a great sweet treat substitute.
- Spiderweb Cupcakes: sweetened with honey and topped with a spiderweb, these gluten and grain free cupcakes make a great Halloween treat.
Don’t have time to make anything home-made or have a recipe you absolutely have to make this year? Opt for these switches to make things a bit healthier:
- Dark chocolate: treats made with dark chocolate can taste just as good as the milk chocolate version, plus it provides antioxidants. Try these Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups as an alternative to the milk chocolate versions.
- Natural sweeteners: date sugar has slightly less sugar per serving than regular, coming in at 3 grams per teaspoon vs. 4 grams in white sugar. Another amazing option is Stevia, a plant based sweetener that is 200-350 times sweeter than regular sugar, which means you use less to get that same sweet taste. Extra bonus: it doesn’t raise your blood sugar levels, so you avoid the dreaded sugar crash! Try Lily’s Chocolate Bars, which are all sweetened with stevia and taste ah-maze-ing.
- Products that are Organic and/or Fair Trade: when buying candy for your family or to hand out to Trick-or-Treaters, opt for the Organic and/or Fair Trades brands, such as Theo’s, Endangered Species, or Yum Earth, which use sustainable harvesting practices and try to use local ingredients as much as possible to lessen their carbon footprint.
- Fruit Based Products: fruit snacks can be a great treat as long as they are actually fruit based and don’t have any of the artificial dyes and flavorings that many products have. Look for brands like Stretch Island or Annie’s that use fruit and vegetable juices for flavor and coloring.
Remember, even if you do indulge, don’t beat yourself up about it. Have a happy and healthy Halloween and enjoy spending time with family and friends and getting into the Halloween spirit!
Written by Dr. Blaire Maliwat, ND, LAc, RDN
Featured Image courtesy of Canva
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