If you are reading this blog you are already on the path to wellness, or thinking about it! And with Halloween right around the corner you may be thinking, “how do I get through it without eating all that candy?” Well I have some great tricks to help you stay healthy and still get some treats in☺.
– Going to a Halloween party or taking children Trick Or Treating? Make sure you have healthy, filling meal before you go so you are less tempted to eat candy or unwanted deserts.
– When you get home, that night give yourself a Treat! Yes, I said it! Pick out your favorite candy or treat, and have ONE piece or small serving. If this is a slippery slope for you and you know you one will turn into ten, then it’s best to avoid getting started at all! In this case have a healthier alternative ready when you get home to help keep you on track.
– Consider donating or giving away the majority of your (or your kid’s) Halloween candy so it’s not sitting around the house tempting you for several days.
-Ideas for healthier treats:
o For your chocolate fix find some 70% or greater dark chocolate. I love the brands Theo and Endangered Species; they both have several different yummy flavors of dark chocolate to choose from.
o If crunchy and/or salty is your thing, try out some flavored organic kale chips. There are lots of flavors to choose from such as nacho cheese, cool ranch, honey mustard, bbq, and, I even found a pumpkin spice one this week! With mostly spices and nuts these kale chips are tasty without any gluten, dairy, or other unnecessary ingredients, and are totally Paleo friendly.
o An alternative to crunchy and/or salty could be lightly sea salted organic nuts or seeds with flavored spices. If you buy these in a package make sure you look at the label to look for hidden sugars and dairy. I was so excited to find pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds the other day, but found loads of sugar and powdered milk in there when I read the ingredient list!
o Looking to get your pumpkin spiced beverage fix? Juli also has a pumpkin frappe in her new cookbook, and a recipe for a pumpkin pie smoothie on her website.
o If you have a chocolate peanut butter thing, I highly recommend giving Juli Bauer’s Buckeye recipe a shot on page 222 of her new cookbook. She uses sunflower butter and chocolate, however she does warn that there is REAL sugar in there, so be careful to only have one or two☺. It is still better for you than any packaged candy with high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavorings, and sweeteners. Juli has many Paleo healthier desert options in her cookbook too!
o And last but not least, a classic favorite of mine! Melt some of that 70% organic dark chocolate I mentioned earlier on top of a bowl of mixed berries…YUM!
I hope these tips help make your Halloween season more manageable and healthy. If you have any other healthy treat ideas or recipes, please feel free to comment or post it on my Facebook page, I would love to hear about it!