A Few Tricks, for healthy Treats!
By Nutritionist Karis Betts MSc BSc
It’s that time of year again, Halloween! Characterised by scary costumes and even scarier amounts of sweets. As we’re all aware, sugar has a negative impact on our family’s health. It causes tooth decay, Child concentration problems and weight gain. Which in turn can have further negative health implications like; type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Many of the popular snacks consumed at Halloween parties and given out to trick or treaters contain very high quantities of sugar. For example, funsize chocolate bars are very popular and it may not seem a lot to eat two or three of these little chocolate bars as a treat at a special occasion. However each 18g chocolate contains 11.1g of sugar which quickly adds up when you eat more than one. For a shocking comparison: only three of these funsize bars contain more sugar than a 250ml sized can of energy drink.
So this year, why not try something different? Swap the chocolate and sweets for some fun fruit based snacks, which will reduce you/your child’s sugar consumption and form part of that all important 5-a-day!
Listed below are three super fun and easy recipes to make at home.
Banana Ghosts
Ingredients:
- Bunch of bananas, box of raisins/chocolate chips.
Method:
Peel and chop bananas in half and place raisins/chocolate chips for eyes and mouth.
Satsuma Mini Pumpkins
Ingredients:
- Bag of satsumas, stick of celery.
Method:
Chop small pieces of celery and place in top of peeled satsumas.
Monster Mouths
Ingredients:
- Apples, strawberries, sunflower seeds, peanut butter.
Methods:
- Cut apple into wedges and then cut a smaller wedge out of each to create the lips.
- Spread peanut butter into the space from the removed wedge. Slice strawberries and place them into the space as the tongue.
- Finally, push the sunflower seed into the apple around the space to create the crooked monster teeth.
