Trick or treat with healthy Halloween snacks this year. Roasted pumpkin seeds and healthy Halloween dessert recipes can help you stay on your diet during the biggest candy holiday of the year.
On a diet? There's no reason you can't enjoy Halloween and stick to your weight loss program. Stick to low-fat treats like veggie platters in Halloween colors. High fiber bean dips and protein rich deviled eye-ball eggs, are fun alternatives to high calorie and sugar laden snacks, and will look great on your Halloween table.
Confused as to whether or not pumpkins are a fruit or a vegetable? Natalie Weiss, a registered dietitian at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, says "It’s a vegetable. Pumpkin can be cooked like squash and similar vegetables. By itself, it’s a very healthy food, naturally low in calories, fat and sodium. However, when recipes add lots of butter, cream and sugar for the pies and desserts, the dishes can become very caloric and high fat."
Make or buy a healthy Black Bean Dip and serve it with colorful Terra Vegetable Chips. Bean dips are high in fiber and low in fat. Paired with the oranges and reds of Terra Potpourri Chips, or the vibrant fall colors of Terra Exotic Vegetable Chips, this quick snack will have you eating healthy this Halloween.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe - Don't throw out the guts after you're done with pumpkin carving. Save the seeds and make roasted pumpkin seeds. The Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Recipe is another delicious high fiber alternative for healthy Halloween snacking.
Eye Ball Deviled Eggs - Halve peeled hard boiled eggs, and set aside yolks for another use. Fill the insides with lite cream cheese, smoothing over the top with a knife. Use a small halved green olive or pimento for the eye ball. Using a toothpick and a few drops of ketchup, run the pick through the ketchup to resemble blood shot eyes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pumpkin Cheese Tea Sandwiches - Thinly slice one small loaf of pumpkin bread. Spread half the slices with one (8 ounce) package of lite whipped cream cheese, and top with the remaining half of pumpkin bread. Cut sandwiches into fingers.
Lite Pumpkin Dip Recipe
- 1 box (5 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 container (16 ounce) fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 can (15 ounce) Libby solid pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix pudding, pumpkin and spices together. Mix in whipped topping, and refrigerate for 60 minutes. Serve with pretzel sticks, fat-free graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
Halloween Smoothie Recipe
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 pint orange sherbet
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1 cup fat-free whipped topping, optional
Directions:
In a blender, pulse orange juice, milk, sherbet and bananas until smooth. Turn blender on high and mix until frothy.
Pour into tall glasses and top with whipped topping if desired.
Family Fun.go.com has a monstrous list of healthy Halloween treat recipes. Make a selection of Carrot-Finger Food that looks like real fingers, Cheese-Finger Food made from string cheese, Edible Eyeball Treats, Melon Brain, Monster Mash, Hot Dog Mummies made with wieners and crescent dough or refrigerator bread sticks. Lots of other great ghoulish Halloween ideas too.
Related Halloween Recipes:
Pumpkin Seed Recipes: Make Use of Your Carved Pumpkins
Halloween Dessert Recipes are Tasty for Trick or Treat
Sources: terrachips.com; familyfun.go.com
Written by Donna Diegel
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
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