[SoFlaVeg] Healthier Halloween

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Misty L. Trepke

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Healthier Halloween

From Fresh Ideas

 

Halloween is truly a kid's holiday – good friends, creative costumes,

event-filled parties – all with a cool spooky theme - who could ask

for more? Oh yes, one more thing, the treats – lots of sugary candy

treats!

 

With all the fun of this holiday come a parent's worst fears – too

many sugary treats in your kid's possession and the arguments that

ensue over this treasured trove. If you don't feel like to

contributing to the neighborhood children's tooth decay, consider

giving treats that are healthier. Here are some suggestions:

 

* Hummus and cracker packages

* Naturally flavored and sweetened gun or sugar- free gum

* Small bags of pretzels

* Small packages of nuts or raisins

* Peanuts in the shell

* Fruit-Roll Ups

* Granola bars

 

If you are not opposed to sugar, but would prefer your treats to be

natural or vegan, we suggest you visit your local natural food store.

There are many natural candy companies that offer a big variety of

candies. The one drawback, expect to pay more for these items.

Natural products come at a higher price tag.

 

You could make a homemade treat. Unless you are in a neighbor with

close friends, we don't suggest this approach. Most parents are

trained to go through the Halloween candy and throw out unopened,

unwrapped, or homemade treats. If you decide to make your treats,

wrap your homemade item up well, and add your name and phone number

to the bag with the treat. If the parent recognizes your name, it

will make them feel the treat is safe.

 

Halloween treats do not have to be edible. An alternative to avoiding

the junk food challenges is to hand out a non-food treat. Today, many

families are opting for this choice. With a little bit of thought and

some clever shopping, you can find some really nice items for a few

cents per item. Here are few ideas:

 

* Cool stickers or temporary tattoos

* Halloween balloons, you can even rent a helium tanks and fill

them on the spot

* Crayons, pencils, colored chalk or fun-shaped erasers

* Whistles or noise makers

* Rubber spiders, worms, or other equally creepy figure

* Spider, skull, or pumpkin plastic rings

 

Check you local dollar store for fun items. There is also plenty of

time to shop online, and have items shipped to you. DollarDays.com

and OrientalTradingCompany.com are just 2 sites that offer a good

selection. A quick search on Google will give you plenty more online

sopping choices.

 

Halloween Day:

Star the day off right, with a festive breakfast of bagels, pumpkin

cream cheese (recipe follows) and fresh apples. This meal also works

as a great treat for a morning Halloween party at your child's

school.

 

Pumpkin cream cheese: Beat in a bowl, 8 ounces Tofutti cream cheese,

2 Tablespoon brown sugar, ½ cup of canned pumpkin and ½ teaspoon of

pumpkin pie spice. Serve with toasted bagels and fresh apple slices.

 

Before your children venture out in their cotumes, make sure they eat

a meal before going trick-or- treating. Try the Incredible White Bean

Pizza recipe below. It is fast and simple. With full tummies, they

won't be so tempted to dig into their bag of goodies before they get

back home. Ask your kids not to eat candy while they are out.

 

Incredible Bean Pizza: Start with a store bought crust, puree one can

of drained, rinsed white beans with one clove of garlic, 2

Tablespoons water, and ½ tsp oregano in a blender. Spread mixture

over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with shredded Vegan mozzarella cheese,

fresh, diced tomatoes and chopped basil. Bake in a 425 degree oven

until cheese is bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

 

When your children arrive back at home, don't let them take control

over their bag or bucket of candy. Working with them, check the

treats and keep only treats which are unopened. Be sure to inspect

fruits and homemade goods for anything suspicious. While you are

going through their candy, let them pick 2-3 treats that they can eat

on this special night. Store the rest of the candy out of reach and

out of sight.

 

Over the next few days or weeks, rationing the treats is the best

approach. Allow your children to make their own selections, but tell

them they can pick one large piece or two small pieces. If your

children have trouble with this, do it for them (in advance). Just

place small amounts of candy in bags, and let them select one of the

bags. If there is just too much candy, consider donating some of it

to a shelter. It will bring smiles to others.

 

Fidyl

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