Treat Kids to Healthy Halloween Recipes

By Carmen Staicer for DietsInReview.com

Halloween is such a fun holiday. There’s no pressure to buy the right gift, no cleaning, no resolutions to prepare, or 100-degree picnics. It’s a day devoted to getting dressed up, scared out of your wits, and filled up with candy. Well, maybe the last part isn’t the greatest idea, but how can you avoid it? One way is to serve healthier alternatives at your party, like these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies. Make the foods fun and the kids won’t even miss the junk.

Pumpkin is obviously the favorite fruit of Halloween, so take advantage of the orange globe’s popularity and infuse your recipes with its color and flavor. Try these bite-sized Mini Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Pancakes to start Halloween morning on the right foot.

Then, if you’re serving snacks at their school Halloween party, or want to give everyone something to munch on before trick-or-treating begins, here are a few simple, healthful recipes that the kids will love as much as you will!

Black Bean Dip with baked tortilla chips is easy to prepare, and it’s full of fiber and flavor. Spread on a platter in the arched shape of a tombstone and use Greek yogurt to write RIP.

Create a Jack o’ lantern by spreading baby carrots on a platter. Then use hard boiled eggs for the eyes and green pepper strips to make the stem. Serve with low-fat ranch or spinach dip.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a great way to reduce the waste after you’ve carved pumpkins. These easily travel in a baggy in the kids’ pocket so they have a safe snack while hunting for candy.

Create a snack mix using air-popped popcorn, pretzels, dried fruits like apples and cranberries, a few dark chocolate chips, and a handful of pistachios.

Offer Hot Apple Cider instead of sugary sodas. There’s not a more delicious way to keep everyone warm!

Instead of caramel apples, slice the fruit and serve them with our terrific Caramel Apple Dip made with reduced-fat cream cheese.

Ingredients

1- 8oz. package reduced- or fat-free Cream Cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Caramel Flavor
1-2 Apples or Pears

Instructions

1. Soften cream cheese.
2. Core and slice apples and/or pears.
3. Blend first four ingredients using an electric mixer.
4. Use as a dip for fruit slices.

Often with kids it’s all about the presentation. So give their eyes something to feast on and the absence of candy, soda, and pizza won’t even enter their heads.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Gary C.

7:32PM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Thankyou....

November 21
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KARLOLINA G.

8:35AM PST on Nov 11, 2011

Thanks

November 11
send a green star

11:59PM PST on Nov 6, 2011

Thanks.

November 6
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may H.

2:51PM PDT on Nov 4, 2011

November 4
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Melissah C.

4:24AM PDT on Nov 3, 2011

thanks

November 3
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Monica D.

8:31PM PDT on Nov 1, 2011

Pumpkin pancakes sound good.

November 1
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Jo A.

8:01PM PDT on Oct 31, 2011

Great ideas! thanks for sharing.

October 31
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Sonny H.

6:32PM PDT on Oct 31, 2011

Sounds good to try.

Emily S.

8:02AM PDT on Oct 31, 2011

Good ideas! :)

Nola g.

6:06AM PDT on Oct 31, 2011

I wish my children were still small enough to go trick or treatin. I loved helping to eat all the goodies. Not many small kids left in our small town. We used to get over a 100 kids. Now we're lucky if we get twenty. Those were all good ideas, but I like to pig out at least once a year.