Healthy Halloween Treats

Halloween, the scariest holiday of them all, is fast approaching. Soon there will be trick-or-treating and Halloween parties all over.

Although there is no shortage of treats during this spooky holiday, there is a trick that has not been mastered by many people.

That trick is how to walk the fine line of having tasty goodies and party snacks, while remaining healthy. Allow me to share with you a few of my tips on this often tricky treat subject.

Party Mix: We’ve all had party mix at one time or another and it usually consists of unhealthy chips, cheese puffs as well as other sodium and fat filled ingredients. We like the taste, but not the nutrients. The trick... I get the taste I want without all of the unhealthy extras. I like to use rice chips made by a company called Rice Works. They are made with rice, not fried and come in various delicious flavors. Put that in a bowl with some pretzels or low fat Chex and you have a healthy party mix. You can even divide it into small zip lock bags and give it to trick-or-treaters.

Don’t be afraid of the Dark: Dark Chocolate that is. Instead of buying candy that is made with milk chocolate, switch to the dark chocolate. Not only does it taste great, studies show that it also helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol! It’s also easy to find, many of your favorite snacks suck at m&m’s have dark chocolate versions as well.

Stick with the mini’s: Instead of handing out and eating the regular size candy, switch to the miniature version. Not only will the smaller portions help keep you healthy, it will also help those that you give the treat to.

So there you have it, a few easy tricks to make your Halloween just as fun, and a lot healthier.

-Odell Purifoy, CFT