Halloween is often thought of as a holiday with a ton of sugar. While parents want kids to enjoy their candy, balanced eating is still important. The following snack ideas will help you and your family celebrate this year while also keeping healthy eating in mind.
First start out by thinking about the colors of the season that invoke that festive feeling.
- Black – raisins, black olives and dark chocolate chips
- Orange – carrots, cheese, orange bell peppers and, of course, oranges
- Green – grapes, broccoli and kiwi
- Yellow – pineapple, bananas, yellow peppers and popcorn
Healthy Halloween snacks for school-aged kids
Healthy snacks don’t have to mean boring or things kids won’t eat. Use your imagination to decorate fruit like you would cookies. Think about presentation too, like kabobs on a tray decorated with toy spider rings or popcorn served in a hollowed-out pumpkin.
- Edible jack-o’-lanterns – Decorate mandarin oranges with a food-safe marker to resemble a jack-o-lantern.
- Fruit kabobs – Lace grapes, berries and sliced bananas mingled with a mini marshmallow or two for a treat that’s healthy and sweet.
- Mix-your-own popcorn bar – Serve your kid popcorn in a paper bag or plastic cup and allow them to choose two spoonfuls of a treat, like dark chocolate chips or gummy worms, to mix in.
- Festive cheeses – Use mini cookie cutters to cut pumpkins and ghosts out of cheese for a protein-packed fun snack.
Bringing snacks into school for a party? Make sure to check with your child’s teacher first. Most schools have food policies to protect children with allergies.
Healthy Halloween snacks for toddlers
Since toddlers aren’t fully up to speed on the candy-crazed week Halloween can be, it’s simpler to introduce a healthier celebration. Think finger foods in safe sizes to avoid choking hazards, but served in a new and fun way.
- Chopped carrots with ranch-style dip.
- Make fruit parfaits with diced oranges, diced pineapple and diced apples topped with whipped cream for a healthy treat that’s color-coordinated for the season and still enticing for little ones.
- Have your child make their own pumpkin. Cut out triangle, circle and square shapes from cheese and apples. Then let your toddler create a jack-o’-lantern face on round pita bread.
Regardless of how you choose to handle the candy debate with your child this year, be sure to mix in some of the healthy snack options above for a balanced diet. And please know that one day of indulgence is completely OK.
Learn about the nutrition services as well as other health care services we offer at Bon Secours.
