For lots of little ones, Halloween is one of the favourite festivities of the year. For lots of parents, Halloween is a time for hyperactive children followed by serious sugar slumps. Without doubt, Halloween is synonymous with sugary treats, but it doesn’t need to be! Childhood obesity is now recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. As parents, teachers, carers, we can make a real difference to the future of our children by introducing healthy alternatives into their diet – with half the “bad stuff” and twice the fun! As a nutritional therapist, I love to find and create colourful and sumptuous recipes that can make a real positive difference to our bodies and today I want to help you. Reported by BBC Good Food, one in five 10-11 year olds is registered as obese; let’s do something about that with some deliciously gruesome healthy Halloween treats.
Healthy Halloween Stuffed Peppers
Who said Halloween needed to stick in the sweet treats and desserts section? Courtesy of Hungry, Healthy, Happy, I’d like to introduce their Halloween Stuffed Peppers. They’re full of flavour and Halloween fun! Far easier to carve than the traditional pumpkin, these vibrant bell peppers are sure to be a healthy Halloween hit with your little ones. Whilst you can choose your own fearsome fillings, this healthy Halloween recipe uses quinoa, courgette, halloumi and some tasty spices.
‘Slime’ Avocado Dip with Spooky Shaped Tortilla Chips
This healthy Halloween recipe from Tesco is spooktacularly simple and sure to get your children excited about healthy eating rather than those scary sugars! A vibrant lime green avocado ‘slime’ is perfect for dipping in your Halloween shaped flour tortilla cut-outs. You can find the full recipe here. If you want to satisfy your thrill for gore, why not try my easy Beetroot and Butterbean Hummus recipe alongside the slime?
Halloween Banana Popsicles
Bananas are brilliant! They are a fantastic source of potassium, natural sugars, and fibre and are the perfect partner for your healthy Halloween treats. The Halloween Banana Popsicles recipe from Well Plated is a great one for getting your children involved in a fun and fruity Halloween activity. Making your banana ghosts and banana peanut butter mummies takes just 15 minutes preparation time – and a couple of hours in the freezer. Start your healthy Halloween at home today by following the recipe here.
Halloween Falafel Fingers with Worms Tzatziki
Okay, this one takes a little bit more imagination in order to get your kids on board with the Halloween theme, but it is another devilishly delicious healthy Halloween recipe. I love falafel, especially because it is so easy to make and packed with goodness. Following my falafel recipe, rather than making a ball as instructed, lengthen each falafel into a stubby finger. Adding an almond will act as your fingernails. Where cucumber is the grubs and slugs and worms, this tasty tzatziki recipe from Jamie Oliver is the perfect accompaniment.
Healthy Halloween Troll Lips
For our final fearsome healthy Halloween recipe, we turn to Tesco once more. Their Troll Lips recipe is one of the easiest to do at home and you can certainly get the kids involved too! Using green and red apples, mini-marshmallows and peanut butter, your troll lips are ready to be gorged upon. To see these marvellous creations which are the perfect healthy Halloween treat for your little monsters, follow the link here.
With the help of these recipes, I hope you and your family can enjoy a fantastic healthy
Halloween. To continue making tasty treats and delicious healthy meals all year round, take a look at my selection of recipes – or if you’re struggling with a sweet tooth, why not download my healthy chocolate eBook which features 10 fabulous recipes for guilt-free indulgence.
In the meantime, Happy Halloween everyone!