Healthy Halloween treats

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 1367
Word Count: 472

October 8th, 2006

As the neighborhood goblins and ghosts come knocking on your door with "trick or treat, smell my feet", rest assured that you can give them something good to eat. Ok, so maybe not green leafy vegetables or fresh fruit, but there are some healthier options to give away.

Nestle has a new product called Nestle Stixx. Stixx are creme-filled wafers covered with chocolate and taste like some of our old favorites like Crunch and Butterfingers. They are only 90 calories per stick.....yahoo!

There are also plenty of pops that will not pop your daily calorie limit. Caramel Apple Pops (60 cal, 0.5g fat), Blow Pops (60 cal, no fat), Dum Dum Lollipops (25 cal, no fat) and Tootsie Pops (60 cal, no fat). Smartees are only 25 calories per roll.
Pumpkin Peeps are cute little pumpkin-shaped marshmallows that contain just 130 calories and no fat per 8 peep serving.
Candy Corn is still one of my all time favorites! Each 26 piece portion contains a reasonable 140 calories and no fat!
Peppermint Batty is a bat-shaped peppermint patty with only 140 calories and 2.5g of fat.
Russell Stover's Chocolate Marshmallow Ghost has just 110 calories and 3g of fat.

Finally, Russell Stover, Nestle and Hershey have all added sugar free options to their product lines as well. Think favorites like Reese's peanut butter cups and Twizzlers without sugar!

A healthy alternative is finding something non-edible to hand out. Glow in the dark markers, light up yo-yo's, a fun game, stickers, etc. Skip the pennies and pencils, the kids will spread the word and boycot your house!

As the candy giver....avoid buying your favorite candy as you will be less likely to dip into the bowl after Cindarella leaves your doorstep. Towards the end of the day, give away 2-3 pieces instead of 1. The kids will love you and so will your waistline!

Speaking of limiting your intake during the give-away, what about the kids? How much should they be allowed per day?

iVillage.com has the following tips to keep your little trick or treaters happy:

Send them out with tummies full of a warm and healthy dinner so they don't come home starved or, worse, end up eating candy along the way.
Be a sport and allow a little extra on Halloween night.
Store candy out of sight, such as in a kitchen cupboard that only you can reach.
Limit candy to one a day at an agreed-upon time, such as with a glass of milk as an after-school snack, or for dessert at dinner.

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