Written by Karen Edwards.
Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner.....parties, costumes and humungous pillow cases full of candy!
Thankfully, there are lots of alternative healthy/fun treats for
children/parents who prefer something other than the traditional Halloween candy treats especially if they are diabetic or like our Tiny Lights, have other health concerns.
Here are 5 heebie jeebie scary facts about why some candies are not 'treats'!
1. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). HFCS has been linked to obesity, rising
rates of type-2 diabetes, and hypertension. Not to mention that mercury has
been detected in HFCS as well!
2. TBHQ. TBHQ, or tertiary butylhydroquinone, (spooky spelling) is a form of
butane that is added as a preservative to a variety of foods, including popular
Halloween candies Reese’s Peanut Butter CupsTM and Nestle CrunchTM.
3. Artificial Colours. Artificial colourings such as FDC Blues 1 and 2, Red 3,
Green 3 and Yellow no. 5 and have been banned in many countries because of
4. Hydrogenated Fats. Hydrogenated fats in many products, including chips,
crackers, and chocolate, have long been recognized as dangerous for their link to
heart disease and cancer.
5. Refined Sugar. Not only is not good for your children's teeth, it also
depletes you body of vital nutrients and can damage the immune system And, of
course, we all know what too much sugar does to our children’s moods and
behaviours and its not pretty!
Non edible treats and treasures
Small containers of Play-Doh (Walmart, Dollar stores and Costco offer these for
reduced rates in the Halloween candy aisle)
Coins (pennies, nickels, dimes)Canadian or Non Canadian
Miniature magnifying glasses
Plastic jewelry (spider rings, bat bracelets, witch necklaces, etc.)
Mini decks of playing cards
Small containers of Slime
Plastic bugs (fake spiders, grasshoppers, beetles, roaches, etc.)
Inexpensive Halloween themed toys ~Dollar Stores Michael’s and Walmart
Miniature bottles of water or all natural juice boxes
Spooky Halloween “frights” like plastic eyeballs, rubbery rats, and fake fingers
Light-up glow sticks, which can usually be found in a pack of 15 at Michael’s
Halloween pencils and mini activity books or pads of paper
Temporary tattoos and/or stickers
Small bags of microwavable popcorn
Fruit leathers (made with 100% fruit)
Homemade crayons made in muffin tins in the oven (google it)
Adhesive band aids ~ pirate, black cat
Barrettes or other hair things
Large metallic star confetti or “fairy dust”
Printed items like word search, sudoku, colouring ~ witch, Dracula, Frankenstein
Colouring books: Earth-friendly themes
Here is simple directions to make a Rainbow Veggie Skeleton You will need the following items:
• Head of cabbage or iceberg lettuce
• Zucchini slices (rounds)
• Bell Pepper slices (cross-cut) • Celery stalks
• Sugar snap peas
• Carrots (peeled)
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Cherry/Grape Tomatoes
• Healthy dressing of your choice!
Step 1. Line half of small bowl with lettuce for the skeleton’s hair; fill with dressing. Place at one end of large tray or baking sheet for the skeleton’s head.
Step 2. Cut vegetables the arrange them on tray to resemble skeleton’s body
* Fake creepy spiders for a little extra fun!
Halloween parties can have a balance of sweets and health…by spending a little
extra time you can make veggies just as fun as any junk food!
Have a Happy, Healthy and Safe Halloween from The Tiny Light Team!
