Halloween Treats and Healthy Recipes

Halloween is just around the corner and you know what that means: Halloween Candy! While I’m all for indulging every now and again, a good rule of thumb for most people is to aim for less than 25g of added sugar in your diet per day. With the abundance of Halloween candy this time of year, that can be tricky. So why is too much sugar so bad for our bodies anyway?

How Sugar Affects the Body
Excessive sugar consumption can lead to a variety of negative health effects, including weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. High sugar intake often contributes to obesity, as sugary foods and beverages are calorie-dense but low in nutritional value, leading to overeating. Think about it like this: the calories in one banana can equate to the calories in one small cookie. It’s rare that you’ll eat more than one banana in a sitting, but it’s less rare to have more than one cookie, sometimes 2-3 is the norm. And again, let’s enjoy everything in moderation, but science has actually shown that sugar hits the same part of our brains as heroin, so once we consume some, we’re more likely to crave more. When we eat TOO much sugar, it can disrupt our insulin sensitivity, ultimately resulting in metabolic disorders, and inflammation in the body. Both of these things can exacerbate chronic diseases and negatively impact overall health. These factors underline the importance of moderating sugar intake to maintain a balanced diet and promote long-term well-being.
Cutting down on the sugar doesn’t have to mean cutting down on the fun. As a general rule of thumb, you can reduce the sugar in any recipe (sugar, honey, etc) by 50% without negatively affecting the recipe as a whole. Isn’t that cool? Below are some other alternatives you can try this season for Halloween Treats.

Healthier Halloween Treats to Try

Healthy Halloween Snack Tray
This spooky and fun recipe replaces common processed foods with things like bananas, carrots, and hummus.
Mummy Granola Bars
Naturally gluten free and free from artificial colors, these fun granola bars are sure to please!

Secretly Healthy Halloween Cookies
Made with chickpeas, but you’d never know, with these tasty treats.
5 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Bark
Nuts a dried fruit join antioxidant-rich dark chocolate in this recipe

Healthier Alternatives to Halloween Candy
If you want to skip the traditional Halloween candy this year, here are a few of my favorite healthier options to pass out:

• Dark chocolate bars
• Organic fruit snacks
• Nuts or mixed nuts
• Trail mix packs
• Dried fruit
• Pumpkin seeds
• Granola bars
• Sugar-free gum
• Veggie chips