It’s not often you find the words “Halloween” and “healthy” in the same sentence. After all, Halloween is known for one thing: sweet treats.
If you have kids, you know that Halloween means your house will be filled with tempting sweet treats for the foreseeable future. But let’s put this into perspective for a moment. Let’s say your child visits 30 houses on Halloween (many kids are much more aggressive) and picks up a “fun-sized” candy bar at each house. Assuming each of those fun-sized candy bars has 250 calories (I’m using Snickers as the basis for this assumption), your kid would be bringing home 7,500 calories worth of candy. Even if it takes a full week to finish up that candy, you’re looking at an extra 1,000+ calories each day of sugary, calorie-dense junk food!
But Halloween doesn’t have to be a sugar-filled, unhealthy affair. By using a little imagination and some healthy ingredients, you can prepare some better-for-you snacks, meals, and desserts.
If you’re looking for healthier recipes this Halloween season, you’ve come to the right place. Check out this list of some of our favorite healthy Halloween recipes that are great for adults and kids alike.
“Hummus Hands”
Ingredients:
- 1 can salt-free garbanzo beans
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic
- 5 carrots
- 5 pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Directions:
1. Rinse and peel carrots so they resemble five fingers.
2. Rinse beans and combine with olive oil, tahini, salt, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Turn to medium-high setting and blend until smooth.
3. Place a small dollop of hummus on each of the pumpkin seeds and press onto the ends of the carrots so they resemble fingers.
4. Transfer hummus to a deep serving bowl and stick the carrots into the bowl so it looks like a hand is reaching out of it.
Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 5 servings):
205 calories, 9 g fat, 23 g carbs (6 g fiber), 7 g protein
“Orange Pumpkin Milkshake”
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cups vanilla unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups ice
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender except for brown sugar.
2. Blend on highest setting for 30 seconds.
3. Divide evenly into two glasses and top each with brown sugar.
Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 4 servings):
135 calories, 2.5 g fat, 25 g carbs, 4.5 g protein
“Ants on a Log”
Ingredients:
- 4 large stalks of celery
- 4 Tbsp peanut butter
- 1/4 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Rinse celery and chop ends off.
2. Coat the inside of each stalk of celery with peanut butter.
3. Line the inside of each stalk with raisins by pressing a raisin into the layer of peanut butter.
Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 4 servings):
130 calories, 8 g fat, 12 g carbs, 4 g protein
“Deviled Egg Eyeballs”
Ingredients:
- 5 eggs
- 3 green olives
- 2 Tbsp mayo with olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 beet (peeled and diced)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Drop eggs in and boil for 7 minutes.
3. Remove eggs from boiling water and rest in a bowl of cool water. Add sliced beets to the water.
4. Remove shells from each egg and cut each in half.
5. Remove the yolk from each egg and combine in mixing bowl with mayo, mustard, yogurt, and salt.
6. Scoop the yolk mixture back into each half an egg then top with a thin slice of olive.
Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 5 servings):
103 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g carbs, 7 g protein
“Healthier Peanut Butter Cups”
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raw organic cocoa powder
- 8-10 drops of liquid stevia
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Directions:
1. Line a mini muffin tray with 12 liners. Combine 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp. vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Pour mixture in bottom half of each liner. Put muffin tray in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Combine other 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, cocoa powder, and stevia in a mixing bowl. Fill top layer of each liner and top with crushed nuts. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 12 servings):
107 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g carbs, 3 g protein
