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Don’t Let Halloween Scare the Health Out of You!

Posted at: 10/30/2012 10:21 AM

Oh, the sweet treats that come from trick-or-treating, school parties and neighborhood gatherings on Halloween! Halloween is actually a great opportunity for kids to learn about moderation of tasty treats. It is okay to indulge in a few treats on Halloween. That is part of the fun! Our day-to-day, overall eating habits have the biggest impact on our health. Hy-Vee dietitian, Jen Haugen, will share three tricks to for a sweet and healthy Halloween.  

  1. Eat a meal before trick-or-treating. Jen will share a fun and delicious recipe, Green Monster Smoothie, to serve before or after trick-or-treating.  And an easy meal idea that will keep everyone from raiding their bags during trick-or-treating – Go Picnic!
  2. At get-togethers, offer non-candy treats.  Jen will display several options for non-candy treats including a simple way to make eating vegetables fun with the Skeleton and Brain Dip recipe.
  3. Talk about how your family will use up the rest of the treats. Jen will share when is the best time to eat sweet treats and what to do with the leftovers.   


RECIPES:

Skeleton and Brain Dip

All you need:
Lettuce leaves
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables, such as bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, sugar snap peas, mushroom slices, celery sticks, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets and cauliflower florets

All you do:
1.    Line a small bowl with lettuce leaves; fill with dressing. Place near one end of a large platter.
2.    Arrange vegetables in a skeleton shape on platter, using the bowl as the head of the skeleton.
Recipe source: www.kraftfoods.com


Green Monster Smoothie
Serves 2

All you need:
1 cup kale, leaves only
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup pineapple juice
1 frozen ripe banana
1 avocado
1 container Hy-Vee Light vanilla yogurt

All you do:
1.    Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Process on high speed until smooth.

Nutrition facts per serving: 210 calories; 7.5 g fat; 40 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 21 g sugars; 4 g protein.
Recipe source:  Kimberly Proctor, RD, LD, Hy-Vee dietitian
 

Jen Haugen represents Hy-Vee as a nutrition expert promoting healthy eating throughout the community.  Jen Haugen is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.