Katherine Brooking, a registered nurse, dietitian, nutritionist and author, shows us how to help the kids have a healthy Halloween.
Katherine’s guidelines for healthy and happy Halloween treats :
1) Nut and Fruit Based Snacks
Look for wholesome nut and fruit snacks that will provide essential nutrients.
Nuts are a great snack to keep tiny tummies satisfied with the fiber and protein they provide. Since nuts are high in calories, look for the single-serve packages that keep calories in check. For example, a mini-sized (1 oz) pack of pistachios has 80 calories, 3 grams protein and 2 grams fiber. Kids also have fun cracking them open.
Fruit leathers, ropes and squeezable pouches are good options too as long as they don’t have any added sugars. And you can’t go wrong with fun mini boxes of raisins.
2) Make Candy Mini or Fun Size
Three-fourths of American homes will be serving traditional chocolate candy for Halloween. When purchasing chocolate treats, choose the mini or fun sizes because they will cut the calories, fat and sugar of the treats by up to 80% compared to their full-sized counterparts.
Some of the best candy options that are lower in fat and calories include: 3 Musketeers, York Pepperment Patties or Junior Mints. Mini or Fun Size Snickers are great too as they provide some protein and fullness factor.
3) Baked and all-natural snacks
These include granola bars — look for granola bars that are low in fat that contain whole grains, vitamins and minerals. Also skip the greasy chips and look for all natural baked options in individual-sized bags.
4) Toys and Non Food Novelties
At my house, I mix edible treats and little toys in a big bowl. Yale University research found that children liked non-candy options as much as candy so this is a great choice. Kids love non-candy treats like Halloween-themed pencils, pencil toppers, crayons, erasers, scary magnets or stickers, temporary tattoos, bubbles, whistles, fake money and bouncy balls that encourage creativity and physical activity.