Halloween with a healthy twist!

Have no fear — you will NOT compromise the spirit of Halloween by “dissing” sugar-laden, sticky, gooey treats and leaning toward the healthy side. You can banish sugar demons from your household without unleashing impish spirits. Focus on fun and fantasy, rather than food. With a little planning and preparation, kids will never know what they’re missing!

Here’s how to keep the fun without all the sugar and fat:

“Give children a healthy meal or snack before trick or treating so they won’t be as tempted to dig into goodies before they get home.

“SAFETY counts! Establish a FIRM rule that all treats must be checked at home BEFORE anything can be eaten.

“Put the candy out of sight the day after Halloween and ration out treats. Substitute a small portion for dessert or give a small serving along with a healthy snack. From a dental standpoint, eating sweets right after meals is better than snacking throughout the day.

“Use Halloween candy for lunch treats, choosing one or two each day.

“Donate candy to senior centers.

“Divide some of the goodies into freezer bags and use later.

“Cut up candy bars and use in baking for cookies and cakes.

Top “Hand-Out” Halloween Treats:

“ Sugar-free gum

“ Juice boxes

“Mini boxes of raisins

“ Snack-sized bags of animal crackers or pretzels

“Fruit roll-ups

“Cracker and cheese packs

“Pudding cups

“ Packages of instant cocoa mix

“ Trail mix

“ Dried fruit

“Boxes of crayons, stickers, colored pencils, erasers, baseball cards or rubber spiders

“ Certificates for fast-food restaurants

“ Fun-sized candy bars

“Lighted necklaces, bracelets, rings and flashing pins