Guide to a Healthy Halloween: Snacks and Tips to Enjoy Halloween on a Diet

A Trick-or-Treat Alternative

You may be giving out treats to the kids of the neighborhood, but you know what will happen to the leftovers, don’t you? Avoid gaining those pounds from the leftover treats by replacing the treats with non-food items instead! Take a trip to the dollar store, and give out some knickknacks that the neighborhood kids will love. Their parents will thank you too! Try some of these ideas:

· Pumpkin-shaped erasers

· Funny sunglasses

· Glow sticks

· Decorative pencils

· Tiny bottles of bubbles

· Halloween stickers

· Fake jewelry – rings, necklaces, and bracelets

· Temporary tattoos

· Small, colorful rubber balls

Get Rid of the Loot

And what about the treats that your kids bring home? Tell your kids that a Halloween fairy is coming this year. She will trade them their candy for something even better – a present that they really want! Show them where to leave their bag of treats at night, and the next morning they’ll find the gift in its place. And where does all that candy end up? There are plenty of food pantries and charities that will take the stash and give it to kids who rarely get special treats. Make sure to give them plenty of healthy Halloween snacks instead.

Healthy Halloween Snacks

Here are some fun ideas for healthy Halloween snacks you can make – both for you and the kids!

· Roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

· Trail mix

· Pumpkin muffins

· Oatmeal cookies

· Spicy popcorn

· Peanuts in the shell

· Baked apples

Halloween Party Tips

Going to a Halloween party is a great way to pack on the pounds. Instead, why not make your own? Include some of the healthy Halloween snacks listed, but make the main focus on the entertainment. Costume competitions, apple bobbing, and pumpkin carving are all fun Halloween activities that don’t cost a calorie.