How to Have a Healthier Halloween
Halloween parties are a lot of fun but they aren’t always the healthiest. This might seem inevitable but there’s a lot you can do to change that.
Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or attending one as a guest, you can make smarter choices for a healthier Halloween.
Make this the year you turn Halloween into a fun and healthy celebration!
Go For Healthier Halloween Treats
Sweet treats are popular at Halloween but most of them are pretty unhealthy — especially when you’re not thinking about portion control.
Food can still be the star attraction, especially if it’s creative and on trend. Thinking outside of the box can make Halloween a delicious and nutritious celebration.
There are a lot of seasonal foods that are actually really healthy. Pumpkin and cinnamon are classic fall tastes and they’ll help make Halloween treats taste delicious — with no guilt, into the bargain!
Even cakes and cookies can be made a bit healthier by adding ingredients such as pumpkin and nut butter.
Choosing Halloween treats that are more nutritious and healthy avoids this scenario. You can feel a whole heap less guilty about what you’re eating while still having fun and enjoying Halloween celebrations.
A few ideas you can whip up:
Halloween-inspired stuffed peppers
Pumpkin pancakes
Halloween pizzas decorated with olive “spiders”
Move Away From Candies
There’s a candy craze at most Halloween parties — and not just for kids either! Move away from this by putting the focus on healthier options that have a Halloween twist.
Kids will love helping to add the finishing touches to party food and putting a Halloween vibe on everything.
You don’t need to reach for candies or whipped cream to decorate — try olives, yogurt and nuts to add a spooky edge to your creations. It’s a great opportunity to put your creative thinking skills into action and see what unique treats you can come up with. Your guests will be super impressed!
Have fun turning healthier Halloween treats into ghosts, spiders and mummies, for example. You can add a touch of slime with guacamole (just don’t let on to the kids that it’s packed full of super heart healthy fats!).
If you’re hosting a Halloween party and you don’t want to go overboard with cooking, go for a potluck theme. You can ask your guests to bring a healthier version of a Halloween favorite.
Choose Savory Snacks
Flip the typical Halloween candy theme on its head and go for savory treats instead. They’re more likely to be filling so you’ll probably spend less time hunting down the candies.
A few ideas you can try out include:
Pumpkin and apple quesadillas
Deviled “brain” eggs
Apple and nut butter slices
Monster sushi
Monster toast
Pumpkin gluten-free pasta
And get creative with your Halloween-inspired decorations to make them super spooky!
Exercise Portion Control
Eating before the party is an easy way to limit the calories you’ll eat while you’re there. Since most Halloween parties are jam packed with high calorie and unhealthy food, it can be very smart to do this.
Instead of encouraging everyone help themselves buffet-style, try being more selective with offering specific portions. This keeps calories under control and avoids a sugar and fat overload.
Don’t forget about liquid calories too. Punch and other party drinks can add a whole heap of calories that are easy to forget about.
If healthier options such as pumpkin smoothies aren’t on the menu, pace yourself with water and healthier options to limit the calories you add through drinks.
Get Active
Food doesn’t have to be the focus of a Halloween party.
Instead of just eating a whole heap of unhealthy food, make physical activity a key part of your Halloween party.
Halloween-inspired party games can be great ways to do this. Try a Scavenger hunt for Halloween treats, for example. Or you may decide to have a Halloween dance-off to see which Halloween character comes out on top. Kids will love these ideas but they can be a lot of fun for adults too.
Put a Halloween playlist on and get moving!
If you’re attending a Halloween party and getting active isn’t already on the cards, try suggesting some activities that will get everyone moving. Chances are, it’ll be a big hit if it’s fun.
With a few tweaks, it’s super easy to have a healthier Halloween party that isn’t the usual sugar rush. Getting creative with your food choices and introducing some fun activities to get moving can make your Halloween get-together a whole lot healthier!