How to Enjoy Halloween and Still Stay Healthy & Active
September 30, 2009 by Deb · 1 Comment
Kids and adults alike adore Halloween for the fun costumes, the goofy, grisly décor, crisp fall parties and most of all, the candy. Halloween usually kicks off a season of unhealthy binge eating that lasts all the way until the ball drops on New Year’s Eve! But this year, we have wise alternatives to the tantrum-inducing, fat-producing, energy-zapping barrage of sugar, chocolate, and more sugar.
1. Apples. Give out apples for your treats! I have done this for years and believe it or not, the kids love them!
2. Fruit Snacks. These often have some sugar or coloring added, but you can be choosy about which brand, and they’re still a healthier alternative to a bag of mixed Halloween chocolates.
3. 100 Calorie Packs. From mini Oreos to salty crackers, your options are suited for any craving. The flavor is superb—no gross health-foody aftertaste—and you can’t beat it for low calorie, low sugar portability that is perfect for trick or treat sacks.
4. Cheese crackers/peanut butter crackers. The ultimate lunch box food, they come in different flavors, including the higher fiber whole wheat peanut butter or whole wheat cheese variety. Since they are packaged individually, you can give them to the little costumed creatures that come to your door. Save money and purchase them in bulk!
5. Teddy grahams/Animal crackers. Available in small packs, these are great for the younger munchkins.
6. Raisins. Who hasn’t grabbed the tiny boxes for their kids to snack on? Nutritious and delicious, raisins are the perfect trick or treat giveaway—plus if they eat them with the other chocolates that are guaranteed to be in their bag, it’s like eating chocolate-covered raisins! At least, that’s what you can tell them if they complain…
7. Plan a walk with your kids and enjoy some of the ghoulish decorations around your neighborhood, or have a Halloween themed scavenger hunt this will help burn some of the extra calories off that you are sure to intake.
8. Make sure your kids have a good dinner before heading out to trick or treat — this will make them less likely to gorge on their Halloween treats as they make their rounds.
9. Clip a pedometer onto your kids. It’ll be a fun and inexpensive way for them to keep track of how far they’ve walked.
10. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids. Add a little salt to the seeds and roast them in the oven for a delicious and healthy snack.
Last of all, for the family or parent who stays home on Halloween; treat yourself to white chocolate covered popcorn! Melt white chocolate chips and butter together and pour over a batch of plain popcorn. Mix in some Halloween sprinkles and cool. Within minutes, you’ll have a delicious snack for the whole family without the chemical additives and extreme sugar content available in store-bought Halloween candy.
If you follow these suggestions and be creative with your sweets choices, you can enjoy a wonderful and healthy start to your holiday season!
Deb 