At first glance, health and Halloween don’t have much in common. This upcoming candy-filled holiday leaves your kids full of sugar, which isn’t good for them or you. Fret not, you can still make Halloween fun, scary, safe, and healthy with these 12 healthy Halloween foods for kids!
Why Bother with Healthy Halloween Foods for Kids?
Celebrating Halloween with candy is a common practice. Not to mention, there will be parties at school and other Halloween events your children may go to. Unfortunately, these events are loaded with sugar-filled treats.
According to the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, the average American eats 76.7 grams of sugar every day. That’s the equivalent of 19 teaspoons per day!
When you factor Halloween into the mix, you’re looking at a sugar overload.
But, why is sugar so bad for you?
Sugar can be as addictive as alcohol or drugs, even just thinking about sugar can release dopamine in the brain.
Sugar creates a short-term high and spark of energy in the body. It triggers the reward center of your brain, which releases the neurotransmitter dopamine. This makes your brain want more of it. When out of control, dopamine is the precursor to addictions and cravings. It’s the same system used by drugs like cocaine to hijack the brain.
Ready for healthy alternatives to the typical Halloween treat?
Healthy Halloween Treats for School Class
Depending on which day Halloween falls your child’s classroom is sure to have a mini-celebration. If you’re wondering what should I bring to a school Halloween party look no further!
Instead of stopping at the grocery store on the way over and grabbing a pack of green and purple frosted cupcakes try a few of these healthy Halloween foods.
What’s more, these are all allergy-friendly so they will be great options to bring to your child’s classroom!
Why bother with healthy halloween foods for kids? When you factor Halloween into the mix, you’re looking at a sugar overload.
Fruit Cut Into Fun, Halloween Shapes
Get creative by cutting average fruit into Halloween shapes! For example, cut a green apple into a wedge, cut out a section, and put almond butter inside. Add a sliver of strawberry for the tongue, raisins for the teeth, and candy googly eyes for extra effect. O, instead of a sliver of strawberry, add white-chocolate-covered raisins as monster teeth!
Colorful Popcorn
This Halloween version of popcorn is healthy and spooky. Make popcorn from one cup of corn kernels. Then, add natural food coloring. Use dried beet powder, dried turmeric, and matcha powder for some fun colors!
Whisk in the natural food coloring with melted coconut oil in separate bowls, and then pour the coconut oil over the popcorn. Toss to disperse the food coloring.
Halloween Gummies
Use grass-fed beef gelatin and 100% real fruit juice plus raw honey to sweeten your homemade Halloween gummies. You can purchase cute silicon trays of different spooky creatures like spiders or ghosts to add a Halloween flare.
Sweet Potato Jack O’Lanterns
Make jack o’lanterns cut out of sweet potato slices! Bake them in the oven for a simple Halloween-themed side dish or snack. Sprinkle some cinnamon over top to make them extra yummy.
Kid-Friendly Healthy Halloween Snacks
If you’re feeling extra festive and want to make Halloween special try out a few of these kid-friendly, healthy Halloween snacks. You can also sneak some veggies into these snacks and your kids can munch on them throughout the day. Talk about tricking your kids into eating healthy for a day!
Boo-nana Pops
Make banana popsicle ghosts by cutting a banana in half and sticking it on a popsicle stick. Then, dip them in vanilla-flavored yogurt and add chocolate chips as eyes. Pop them in the freezer until frozen and enjoy.
Candy Corn Parfait
In a glass jar, add a layer of dried pineapples. Next, add a layer of mandarin orange slices and top with homemade whipped cream. Enjoy this healthy twist on candy corn during family movie night or as an after-dinner treat!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
There’s nothing better than carving a pumpkin and roasting the pumpkin seeds. Make different flavors like sweet and spicy with brown sugar and cayenne or dill pickle roasted pumpkin seeds with white vinegar, dill, and garlic powder!
Sugar creates a short-term high and spark of energy in the body. It triggers the reward center of your brain, which releases the neurotransmitter dopamine. This makes your brain want more of it. When out of control, dopamine is the precursor to addictions and cravings. It’s the same system used by drugs like cocaine to hijack the brain.
Spider sandwiches
Make lunch scary and fun with these Halloween spider sandwiches. Use regular sandwich fillings like tuna salad or ham and cheese. Cut the sandwich into a circle and add pretzel sticks as the legs. Use olives or raisins for the eyes.
Healthy Halloween Treats to Hand Out
So, you’ve made Halloween healthy for your own family, but what about healthy Halloween treats to hand out?
Local Honey Sticks
Local honey sticks are a great option as a healthy Halloween treat to hand out. They usually come in different flavors and colors, are a fair price, and are not full of unhealthy ingredients. Kids will have a fun time choosing their favorite colored honey stick. You can feel good knowing you’ve supported a local business and provided a healthy alternative to the usual candied Halloween treat.
Provide a non-candy treat
There are a lot of reasons why you might want to give out a non-candy treat. First, many children have food allergies. Popular types of candy contain peanuts and other allergens that some children cannot consume. Other kids are sensitive to food dyes. Again, most popular candy brands contain artificial food dyes.
Finally, when you give out non-candy Halloween treats, you make it easier on the parents. They don’t have the trouble of checking for anything harmful in the candy.
A few examples of non-candy treats include carabiners, bouncy balls, or mini flashlights.
RELATED: HEALTHY HABITS YOU NEED FOR A HEALTHY LIFE
Dried fruit
Individually packaged dried fruit is a great option to hand out on Halloween. Freeze-dried fruit bags or fruit leather are both healthy alternatives to popular sugar-filled candy.
Trail mix
Most trail mix brands can be found in mini, individually portioned bags. Not only are they great to hand out, but they’re perfect as leftovers as a snack for your own family.
Don’t forget Halloween is about more than just candy! It’s about having a good time with your family, being silly, and coming together as a community. If you’re a health-conscious mom like me, I hope you found these healthy Halloween foods for kids helpful.
Interested in other ways to pursue a healthy lifestyle? Consider signing up for my health coaching program!
As a Certified Holistic Health Coach, I am here to support, guide, and motivate you as you make difficult lifestyle, diet, and health changes that will:
- Prevent or reverse chronic disease
- Implement healthy habits for yourself and your kids
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- And more!
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Mandy Patterson
