All over the country, the weather is cooling down and autumn is in the air. This season brings trick-or-treating, classroom parties, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and all sorts of other festivities. If you’re thinking of your child’s health and teeth over the next few months, you may be wondering how to opt for healthier choices.
Believe it or not, there are ways to make memories while prioritizing wellness. Here are 5 tips you can use to make healthier Halloween snacks this fall.
1. Grab a Sharpie
Are you not super crafty or domestic? You don’t need to be to make fun Halloween snacks. By just using a black Sharpie, you can transform several healthy snacks into fall treats for your child’s lunch, afterschool snack, or classroom party.
String cheese, peach cups, and clementines are all perfect for this purpose. Grab one of the above and draw a jack-o-lantern face on the packaging. This is a simple way to transform an ordinary snack or lunch item into something your kids will be excited to eat.
2. Go apple picking (and use what you pick!)
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This fruit has a ton of fiber and vitamin C. By incorporating apples into your family’s daily diet, you’ll stay fuller and lower your cholesterol.
We suggest making this a hands-on activity with your kids. If your kids don’t already love eating apples, they’ll have a hard time resisting when they handpicked them at your local apple orchard.
So, take a day to get out with your kids. Let them see where their food comes from and give them an appreciation for what grows in nature. Harvesting food can be hard work, and you’ll love how tired they are at the end of the time when it’s bedtime.
Then, you can spend time making these healthy Halloween snacks with the apples you harvested.
The Silly Apple Bites are our favorite Halloween apple snack. However, they can be a bit difficult to transport in a school lunch. If you’re looking for a classroom activity for your child’s school that doesn’t involve only Halloween candy, then this is a good swap!
3. Create a pumpkin veggie platter
Fall is the time of harvest! You can make a simple veggie platter with veggies like bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes and arrange them on a platter in the shape of a pumpkin. We recommend serving these veggies with a healthier dip like hummus or a yogurt-based dip.
And you may be thinking, “My kids would never eat that.”
You’d be surprised! Sometimes it just takes creative exposure for your kids to want to try something. Don’t be afraid to put out a veggie tray for them to snack on with different dips.
4. Transform bananas into ghosts
This is the perfect fun Halloween afternoon school snack or classroom part activity (minus all the sugar!). Create banana ghosts by following these steps:
- Peel bananas and cut them in half
- Add two mini chocolate chips or raisins to make eyes
- Make a mouth using a larger chocolate chip or raisin
- Poke a popsicle stick through the cut side of the banana
5. Try English muffin “Mummy” pizzas
Do your kids come home from school absolutely ravenous? Try making them “mummy” pizzas with whole-wheat English muffins. This is a more filling snack that can ensure they get the nutrients they need to get their homework done. You’ll love it because it’s easy!
You’ll need whole-wheat English muffins, low-fat mozzarella cheese, pizza or marinara sauce (your choice), and olives. Coat the English muffin with sauce and then use strips of your cheese to create mummy bandages. Add two olive slices to make eyes and bake in a toaster oven until your English muffin is golden brown. Yum!
6. Roast your pumpkin seeds
Do you have leftover seeds from pumpkin carving? Don’t hesitate to put them to good use! Pumpkin seeds can make a delicious and healthy Halloween snack. All you need is a touch of olive oil and some sea salt.
Here are the simple directions you’ll want to follow.
- Remove the pumpkin pulp from the seeds you just pulled out of your pumpkin
- Put the seeds in a colander and rinse them under cool water
- Soak them overnight in salt water to dissolve the membrane on the exterior of the pumpkin seed
- The enzymes in the membrane are difficult to chew and digest, so this step is a must!
- You should let the seeds soak for at least 12 to 24 hours
- For every 1 cup of seeds, mix 2 cups of water and ½ tablespoon of salt
- After soaking, rinse them thoroughly and pat them completely dry
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a light baking sheet and 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a dark baking sheet
- Add your pumpkin seeds to your baking sheet
- Drizzle the seeds with olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt
- Use your hand to toss them and coat them evenly
- Roast your seeds for 15 minutes and check them every 2 minutes
- Remove them from the oven when they start to turn a little brown
- Use a spatula to toss the seeds around and then spread them back out
- Sprinkle with a little more salt (if desired) and bake for 5 more minutes until they’ve browned a bit more
Smaller seeds will roast faster. You can store your seeds in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 months, or they’ll keep for about a week at room temperature. They can make a great seasonal addition to your child’s school lunch!
7. Invite your child to make a “witch’s brew” smoothie
Healthy food can be intimidating to a child, and you may find they’re much less likely to eat something that they had a part in making. So, tell your child that you need their help making a “witch’s brew.”
This may go over particularly well if they love Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus. Once in the kitchen, pull out your blender. Your goal is a green smoothie with ingredients like spinach, banana, pineapple, Greek yogurt, etc.
You can get creative with other ingredients that your child likes. Just make sure to keep them on the healthier side. For example, if you know they love dates or peanut butter, then those can be good additions. Encourage them to use their creativity.
What really sets this recipe off is having a fun cauldron-shaped cup for them to drink out of. We recommend picking one of these up from a store like Target, Michaels, or Amazon. With any luck, your child may be drinking their “witch’s brew” daily!
Final Thoughts
So, which Halloween treat will your kids want to try out first? This holiday doesn’t have to be filled with all candy and sugar! You can keep it both fun and healthy.
But if that apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away, come visit Pediatric Care Centers. Dr. Benitez and his team of Jacksonville pediatricians can help you with a sick visit, annual care checkup, or any other concerns this fall. Contact us for an appointment.
