Halloween Ideas using the School Food Guidelines Halloween is a time for "treats", but no one says it has to be unhealthy treats. Use the School Food Guidelines to create healthy choices. Make changes this year to make it a healthier Halloween for students (and adults alike). Consider giving items on this list instead of foods and beverages that are high in calories, fat, sugar or salt (sodium). Healthy Treats for Halloween Parties & Treat Bags 100% fruit juice boxes Bottled water (try making a spooky bottle label) White or chocolate milk Smoothies Fresh fruit or vegetables (trays, kabobs, etc.) Pumpkin Hummus with vegetables (recipe below) Fruit cups (pieces or puree like applesauce) 100% fruit bars or shapes (e.g. Fruit to Go Bars, Squiggles) Small packages of raisins Berries parfaits (e.g. layer berries, yogurt, and cereal in a small cup) Yogurt tubes (try these frozen) Milk puddings (low fat types are preferred) Cheese strings or small cheese cubes with crackers Mini muffins (try pumpkin raisin recipe below) Plain Popcorn (Orange colored for Halloween is now available) Cereal Bars (not dipped in chocolate or yogurt) o Oatmeal to Go (Maple Brown Sugar, Oats and Honey, Cinnamon Roll) o President s Choice Rich and Chewy (Raisin) o Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Snack Packs o Chips Ahoy or Oreo Thinsations o Original Bits and Bites o Homestyle Oatmeal BearPaws o All Bran Snack Bites o Mini Chef crackers
Baked Chips (Doritios, Lays Original, BBQ or Sour Cream and Cheddar) Graham Crackers Fruit cookies (fig, apple or date) President s Choice Arrowroot cookies Halloween treats do not have to be edible. Try these ideas as an alternative to food treats: Activities and Halloween games Coloring sheets and crayons Craft in a bag Halloween cups Pencils, colored chalk or fun shaped erasers Plastic rings or hair accessories Rubber spiders, worms or creepy figures Stickers or temporary tattoos
Halloween Snack Recipes Apple Bites (from www.kidnutritioninfo.blogspot.com) Apples 1 tablespoon slivered almonds (broken and jagged is fine) Orange juice (optional) 1. Quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth. 2. Baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning if packing in lunch box. Oven Roasted Pita Chips with Spooky Salsa Whole grain pitas bread cut into wedges and baked in the oven until lightly browned and crispy. Serve with low fat dips such as: yogurt, guacamole, lower fat sour cream, or salsa. Pumpkin Hummus Add pumpkin puree to your store bought hummus, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, blend or mix until smooth. Use for dipping whole grain crackers or vegetables. Pumpkin Raisin Muffins Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) Two 12-cup muffin tins (Healthy tip use a mini muffin pan and spoon small amounts of muffin mix into each) 2 cups whole-wheat flour (500 ml) 1½ cups all-purpose flour (375 ml) 1 cup granulated sugar (250 ml) 4 tsp baking powder (20 ml) 1 tsp baking soda (5 ml) 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (15 ml) 1 tsp ground nutmeg (5 ml) 1 tsp ground ginger (5 ml) ¼ tsp salt (1 ml) 1½ cups raisins (375 ml)
1 can (14 oz/398 ML) pumpkin pureé (not pie filling) (1) ½ cup vegetable oil (125 ml) 2 cups buttermilk or lower fat sour milk (500 ml) 3 eggs (3) 1. In a large bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and raisins. 2. In a separate bowl, blend together pumpkin, oil, buttermilk, and eggs. 3. Make a large well in center of dry ingredients; pour in wet ingredients all at once. Gently fold together until just combined. 4. Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until firm to the touch. (Recipe from Dietitians of Canada Cook Great Food, by Dietitians of Canada, 2001 Published by Robert Rose Inc.) Skeleton and Brain dip (Kraft Foods) Lettuce leaves 1 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing 2 cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables, such as bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, snow peas, mushroom slices, celery sticks, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets 1. Line small bowl with lettuce leaves; fill with dressing. Place near one end of a large serving platter. 2. Arrange vegetables in a skeleton shape on platter, using the bowl as the head of the skeleton. Spooky Pizza whole grain pizza shell, pizza sauce, dark green and orange vegetables, mozzarella cheese, Halloween cookie cutter shape. 1. Prepare pizza shell with sauce. 2. Cut small Halloween shapes out of the mozzarella cheese and add vegetables. Arrange on the pizza. 3. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.
Contact your School Health Promotion Liasion Consultant for more ideas