Did you know that according to the United States department of agriculture, Americans consume around 2.2 sacks each day and may consume approximately 1/4 of their total calories from snacking?
If you or your kids love snacking on junk food items, it may be causing more harm than good, and Halloween may be the ideal time to focus on living a healthier lifestyle.
As the spooky season arrives and you or your kids start getting school or house party invites, you may consume too many unhealthy snacks. Here are recipes for a few healthy Halloween snacks that you can try making with your kids. Doing so will be fun, but it will also help you keep the Halloween candy at bay.
1. Spooky Bananas
Bananas are packed with fiber. Potassium and other heart-healthy nutrients help lower the chance of diseases such as hypertension. So, these spooky bananas are a great way to celebrate the holiday while keeping your health in mind.
To make spooky bananas, all you need is peeled bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Cut bananas in half, and with a dab of melted chocolate (or peanut butter), stick two chocolate chips to make the mouth and eyes. There you have it; your spooky bananas are ready.
2. Kiwi Monsters
Kiwis are a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants that help boost immunity. Making kiwi monsters can be a fun project for your kids and their friends, and it will also help keep them busy. To make kiwi monsters, take a vegetable peeler to peel around two-thirds of the bottom (peel the kiwi skin for your kids to avoid any accidents). Then, slice it in half, and you will end up with two heads with hairy crowns.
Now, the fun part, make eyes with chocolates and add two sticks to both sides of the kiwi heads to resemble ears. Make a straight line with melted chocolate to create the mouth. (Tell your kids to get creative here and come up with their faces for the kiwi monsters).
3. Scary Candy Apples
You must have heard the famous phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are among the most nutritious fruits since they help lower several chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Thus, apples should be a staple in your diet. Here is a step-by-step narration of how you can make scary candy apples:
- Wash your apples well and set them aside to dry
- Add parchment paper to a cookie sheet and spray it with some cooking spray
- Add straws or skewers to five or six apples
- Now, cook some water, corn syrup, and sugar on medium heat, stir a few times until it comes to a boil
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes (candy thermometershould show 300 degrees when it’s done)
- Turn off the stove and add black food coloring and cinnamon flavoring
- Lastly, dip each apple into the mixture and make ‘X’ for the eyes with white cream.
4. Halloween Cookies
When deciding what healthy Halloween snacks to make, cookies should be a must because Halloween is incomplete without Halloween cookies. To make these Halloween cookies, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4cups quick oats
- 1 1/2teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4cup unsweetened applesauce
- Fourtablespoons of unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- Oneegg
- 1/2teaspoon kosher salt
- Oneteaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/2cup honey
- 1/3cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4cup raisins
- 1/4cup pecans or chopped raw walnuts
Directions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl
- In another bowl, mix butter, vanilla, apple sauce, egg, and honey
- Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and mix well
- When the dough turns wet and sticky, add chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins to it
- Place the mixture in a fridge for around 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack inside it
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and with a spoon, place the dough into a 1 or 1 and a half-inch ball (leave at least one inch of space between each cookie)
- Flatten the cookie with your fingers and press Halloween cookie cutterson top to shape the cookies
- Bake until the cookies turn golden, and let them cool before serving!
5. Creepy Salad
Do your kids run in the other direction when they hear salad is for lunch? The creepy salad is the easiest to make out of all the healthy Halloween snacks we have discussed today. For this snack, all you need is an assortment o0f a few vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, olives, cheese, and tomatoes. Here are a few steps you need to follow to make the creepy salad:
- cut up the vegetables of your choice into small pieces
- Start layering the vegetables to start forming the shape of a face
- Get creative and use olives for the eyes
- You can also use Halloween cookie cutters to shape the cucumbers into scary pumpkins
- Mix apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.
- Drizzle the flavorsome apple cider vinegar dressing on your salad, and there you have it. Your creepy salad is ready to be served
Our Final Thoughts
Healthy food can sometimes sound unappetizing, but you can turn any healthy food item into a mouth-watering snack with just a few tweaks. Try making these healthy Halloween snacks with your family and turning them into fun bonding activities.
The best part is that these recipes take only a few minutes to prepare, and they are so much better than any snacks you would purchase from a store!
