At Halloween, we often think of serving salty snacks and sugary sweets! But, if you’re looking to balance out the treats with some healthier options for the kids (and yourself) that don’t compromise on fun, we have some great ideas!
From monster veggies to freaky fruit – you can customise each of these ideas to suit your family. Add less salt, more spice, and extra lime. Serve with carbs or more veggies or enjoy on its own. It’s your choice!
Disclaimer: Not all the food options below are suitable for all ages. Fruit/vegetables must be prepared and cut up small for young children. Always supervise young children when eating. Find out more about what food is suitable for your child on the NHS website.
Cobweb and tomato soup
Image and recipe taken from Healthy Little Foodies
This soup is easy, healthy and requires very few ingredients! What’s more, it makes a delicious lunch or dinner and can be made in batches. It is also a perfect way to get your little one in involved in celebrating Halloween.
It contains onion, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, low sodium stock (but you could just use water if it’s for babies or regular stock for older children and adults), fresh basil (substitute for other herbs such as thyme and opt for dried if you prefer) and then cream to make the spider’s web. You could also scatter some roasted pumpkin seeds on top for a healthy crunch.
Serve with bread or sprinkle a little cheese on top!
Get the recipe for this cobweb tomato soup.
Ghoulish guacamole
This guacamole is healthy, simple and, most importantly, gruesome! Extra fun when served as a dip inside an orange bell pepper carved like a jack-o’-lantern. You can also make a separate batch for yourself and add more of a kick if your children like mild food or are too young for spice!
Enjoy with salad/veggies, tortilla crisps, or just as a tasty snack on its own!
Get the recipe for this ghoulish guacamole.
Monster Veggies
If you’re looking for a fun spooky snack that’s also healthy, this monster veggie tray is perfect.
Not only does it effortlessly bring some colour to your Halloween party but the monster eyes are so easy to recreate. You could buy some googly eyes from craft shop or make them out of white card or paper and use a black pen to draw on the pupils!
Get the recipes for this monster veggie tray.
Serve with our Easy Chickpeasy Healthy Start hummus or other dips (like the ghoulish guacamole above).
Freaky fruit
Image and idea from Healthy Modern Living Elizabeth Ryder
Can we call drawing scary faces on fruit a recipe? No, it’s probably a stretch. But is it fun and likely to help your child eat their five-a-day on Halloween? Definitely!
Pick the fruits you know your child loves (and that are safe for their age) and draw scary faces on them. You could even get them involved as a fun Halloween activity.
The creator of this idea has named these boonanas, orange-o’-lanterns and googly grape eyes but you could also have scareberries (strawberries), hellon (melon), scares (pears)…or maybe we are taking this idea too far.
Get the “recipe” for this frightening fruit idea.
What’s on the table for Halloween at your house this year? Tell us your favourite spooky snacks in the comments and what healthy snack you’ll be trying from our list!
