When we think of Halloween the first image that comes to mind is not of a healthy variety of snacks to eat, but more of candy and sweet things, toffee apples, and pumpkins! So how do we take what is essentially a modern-day candy celebration and turn it into an event that isn’t quite so sickly sweet? Read on to find out…
Halloween as we know it has become a festival specifically catering to the kiddies, but it wasn’t always so. Although the roots of this spooky festival are somewhat shrouded in mystery, it is arguably thought that the strange festival was started by the Pagans, who left sweet snacks and a little of the best of the harvest out at the end of the midsummer festival as gifts to their dead ancestors.
At some point over the years of this midsummer practice, someone either very crafty or very hungry has gone around and started gathering these offerings at the grave risk of upsetting dead relatives. A few hundred years later and the practice has descended into a way to fill kiddies full of candy and have a huge celebration just after Autumn’s official end.
Traditionally, this festival is famous for candy apples, chocolate, and sugar, with the most famously healthy snack distributed being the monkey nut (or Peanut). It is usually bought in bulk to be given to children during this particular holiday period. Fortunately, when it comes to healthy snack food for Halloween, the humble peanut is a great place to start.
The Monkey Nut
The peanut contains loads of important Vitamins and Minerals that will help keep your body strong and your systems all functioning in peak condition. It’s a little fatty so it should be eaten in moderation, but given out raw and still in its shell at Halloween time is the best way to eat it.
Peanuts contain 20% of your recommended daily allowance of Potassium and 36% of natural dietary fiber. Per hundred grams they will give you more than half your daily protein needs and more than forty percent of your Magnesium needs. They’re a bit of a super nut, and they are a super place to start when it comes to healthy Halloween snacking!
Replacing the Candy Apple…
…With a healthy Halloween, snack is actually pretty easy. Instead of buying store-bought, get creative and use Cashew butter to coat your apples instead. Cashews have low levels of sodium when eaten toasted or without added salt. They are also rich in Vitamin B6, Iron, and Magnesium, meaning that you will have healthy bones for Halloween! Cashew butter is simply made by crushing your cashews into a fine paste and adding just enough coconut oil to make it moist. Roll your apple in Cashew butter and voila! A lovely, healthy alternative to the candied apple!
Keeping it nutty!
The Pistachio is another favorite nut that is super-rich in vitamins and minerals and will help those kiddies to grow big and strong. With 40% of both protein and dietary fiber amounts, this tasty snack is healthy all around. They are high in vitamin B6 and low in saturated fats, so tuck in…
Brazil nuts
You might not think of this as a Halloween treat but Brazil’s contain a whole lot of goodness on top of being a tasty nut with a nice texture. Dip them in chocolate this Halloween and tell the children they are ghost poop! What better way to sneak in a healthy Halloween snack than by using your imagination! They contain Vitamins B and C, are through-the-roof on Magnesium and will perk up any party, just with their sophistication… even if they are named as ghost poo.
Raisins and Prunes
Raisins resemble dead flies, and what a great way to trick the kids into getting their five a day! If you dip prunes in natural yogurt they will look like eyeballs, another fine trick to play on your unsuspecting kiddies this Halloween. Get a healthy snack into them disguised as something fun and they will love it!
Raisins are high in potassium and are naturally loaded with all of the vitamins you might expect to find in a fruit. Better yet, they give you protein and dietary fiber too. Get a decent dose every day but especially use them to make a healthy Halloween snack! Again, dip them in chocolate for a gourmet feel.
Pumpkin Seeds
It wouldn’t be Halloween without the Jack O Lantern, so save up those seeds this year instead of tossing them in the bin! Pumpkin seeds are a bit of a super food and are packed full of nutrients. Roast them slowly in the oven, sprinkle them with a little salt and get stuck in! For a creepy feel sprinkle them into some hummus and eat them with ‘dead men’s fingers’…(that’s carrot sticks, to you and me.)
Of course, not all Halloween treats can be guilt free and we are all allowed our little indulgences. If you are tired of catering to the kiddies this year and are looking for a little treat of your own, consider heading over to L’Orenta’s nuts. They make premium quality Gourmet nut mixes, dried fruit portion and other on-the-go snacks to suit an active lifestyle. Snacking doesn’t have to be unhealthy at L’Orenta’s, and the majority of their products are based in the health food vein… so you can dig in, guilt-free!
Visit us again, where we will be examining the importance of healthy snacking throughout the year – and not just during Halloween time! Bookmark us as a reliable source for any answers to all of your healthy snacking questions! If you head on over to L’Orenta’s and shop now, you may even win a discount if you are a new customer!