by Orlando Pipes

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: September 04, 2009

Healthy and Halloween; for most people an oxymoron. In today's culture, we see October 31st, Halloween, as a license for kids to eat sweets, candy, chocolate and all sorts of sugar, unchallenged. And parents and adults see Halloween as an excuse for letting their kids eat these unhealthy snacks. In a United States where a third of the population are overweight, including 9 million children, surely this day of sweet-eating madness is a terrible example to set to kids, and should be stopped. However, Halloween is a day of fun, a day for kids to play and be joyous. And it's not just the kids! Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. It's such fun to dress up in a costume and parade around the neighbourhood. Treats are a part of the fun. However, treats don't have to be gooey, unhealthy, sugary candy. Therefore, here are some suggestions for healthy Halloween treats.

Little snacks

Raisins-Juicy, healthy and delicious. They are easy to buy and can be bought in little boxes perfect to hand out. Yogurt covered raisins-These come in small packages just like candies, and they taste good. They also look like candies, but are healthy, and contain vitamins too.

Peanuts-Nuts are a good source of nutrition, and they can be given out in their shells, giving kids the excitement of cracking open the shells. Juice boxes (100% juice)-There are easy to buy, cheap, and contain lots of vitamins. They are also very popular with kids.

Cereal bars-Delicious and not too unhealthy. You can check the ingredients first, to see how much sugar they contain.

Popcorn-Although seen as an unhealthy snack, popcorn is perfectly healthy unless it is covered in sugar or salt. It can be bought pre-made, or as microwave popcorn, and kids love it!

Sugar free gum-Although this sounds a bit gimmicky and fake, sugar-free gum is now surprisingly tasty and most of the big brands make it, such as 'Extra,' 'Trident,' and 'Orbit.' Kids need not know that it's sugar-free, and so it seems just like normal gum!

Recipes

1. Roasted pumpkin seeds-delicious, and perfect if you carve a pumpkin on Halloween. Instead of throwing the seeds away, keep them. Alternatively you can buy them. Put the seeds into a bowl of cold water (which allows the membranes to separate from the seeds.) Then drain and dry the seeds. Pour a tablespoon or two of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin seeds out on the sheet evenly. If you want, you can sprinkle with spices of your choice. Black pepper, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cayenne all add a different, nice flavour. Experiment, see what you like best! Bake for around at fifteen minutes at 350F. Enjoy now or later! They can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week, and you can eat them yourself, or hand them out as treats if people come knocking by.

2. Dough pretzels-You can make these with your kids as a fun afternoon activity, in a variety of sizes and Halloween shapes, such as pumpkin shaped or cat shaped. I won't write out a full recipe as they can be found in many places, but have fun and experiment. When you have made the dough, shape into any shape you want, and sprinkle a bit of rock salt or kosher salt on top, to add a bit of flavour.

Try these out next Halloween, and remember above all, stay healthy and have fun!

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