Healthy Halloween Tricks - Sweet Swaps That Are Still A Treat
Looking to make Halloween healthier while still being spooky? Here are some sweet tricks for treat swaps.
For the candy bowl
Single-serve, affordable, fun, and nutritious, these are great alternatives to sugary sweets with artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives:
- Clementine oranges - Easy to peel and packed with vitamin C.
- Granola bars and flapjacks - Filling and nutrient-dense, with plenty of flavour options
- Fruit snacks and leathers - Look for 100% fruit varieties without added sugar. Buy a bulk box with individually wrapped packets for the best value.
- Pretzels, sesame sticks, and other savoury snacks in small packets – often a great source of fibre and minerals, with a satisfying crunch! A great respite from sweet treats.
- Dried fruits – Make mini snack bags with apple rings, mange, papaya, apricots, dates, and pineapple or even thread dried apple snacks onto hemp string for snack bracelets.
- Popcorn – get creative with flavour combinations, adding nutritional yeast, cinnamon, or even chocolate and peanut butter to mini snack bags of popcorn. A great source of fibre to fill eager tummies and limit overall sugar intake!
For a Halloween party spread
If you’re looking for healthier treats to serve at a Halloween party, where you don’t have to worry about bagging things up, here are some great ideas:
- Boo-nanas
You’ll need: bananas, chocolate chips (or raisins).
To make: Cut bananas into quarters, so you have four pieces with a flat side and a curved side. Use the chocolate chips or raisins to make a ghostly face on the cut side (curved side down, so they’re easier to pick up off a serving platter).
- Monster mouths - Peanut butter and apple
You’ll need: Granny smith or other sweet green apples, peanut butter (or other, if avoiding nuts), sunflower seeds, or tiny marshmallows.
To make: Cut the apples into wedges and spread the nut butter on one side. Position the sunflower seeds or marshmallow minis to look like teeth in a mouth.
- Stuffed mushroom eyeballs
You’ll need: Larger cremini or other firm mushrooms (caps only), tofu ricotta (tofu, cashews, basil, and lemon juice, with a dash of salt), black or green olives.
To make: Lay the mushroom caps on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 F. Meanwhile, blend the tofu, cashews, and other ricotta ingredients in a high-speed blender. Take the mushroom caps out of the oven and carefully spoon the ricotta into each one, slightly overfilling. Place an olive on each cap to resemble a pupil in an eyeball.
Make it creepier by drizzling beetroot juice over the ricotta for bloodshot eyes!
Final thoughts
If time isn’t on your side, there are still plenty of great options for healthier Halloween treats. Lots of families skip the edible treats entirely these days and make things allergy-friendly and healthier by handing out:
- Coloured pencils
- Fun erasers
- Stickers
- Fidget toys (keyring poppers are popular!)
- 3D printed animals (great for a school project!).