Tag Archives: halloween

Halloween Party Eats That Won’t Haunt Your Waistline

Halloween is a fantastic holiday. There’s no pressure to buy just the right gift, no cleaning or decorating, no resolutions or 100 degree picnics. It’s a day devoted to getting dressed up, scared out of your mind and filled up with candy. Well, maybe the last part isn’t the greatest idea, but how can you avoid it? One way is to serve healthier alternatives at your party. Make ’em fun, and chances are, the kids won’t even miss the junk.

Pumpkin is quite possibly the most well-known Halloween fruit. Take advantage of the orange globe’s popularity and serve Mini Pumpkin Muffins. To reduce the fat in the recipe, substitute applesauce for the oil. An additional choice of  Butternut Squash Muffins will round out the (delicious) options. Stir orange food coloring into low-fat cream cheese for a yummy spread.

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Posted on October 24, 2023 by Carmen

Get Creative With Left Over Halloween Candy

Halloween is a special time of year. Ushered in by aisles full of candy and celebrated with a touch of imagination, it is a magical event where adults and children alike can be whatever they dream to be for one single night.

A part of the magical spell Halloween has us under is our diet. Although it is tempting to swear off candy or limit our children’s consumption of it when faced with bags of goodies captured after a night of trick-or-treating, allowing ourselves to enjoy it may not be such a bad thing. In fact, allowing kids to eat as much candy as they want may not even result in them eating everything they gather. In a survey conducted by KidsHealth.org, only 20% of the 1200 participating children said that they ate all of their Halloween candy and 60% of the participants said that it took them 2 weeks to finish it all off.

Instead of cutting out candy completely on Halloween, perhaps consider allowing your family to have a Halloween treat pass until the clock strikes midnight. This way your kids can enjoy the splendor of gathering as much candy as they can, but will also prevent them from extending the candy mentality into the rest of the year.

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Posted on October 23, 2023 by Kati

Don’t Get Spooked by Unfamiliar Fitness Equipment This Halloween

By Jennipher Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com

Forget ghosts and goblins, the gym can be a scary place. Some of the weight machines look like torture devices out of a horror film and, let’s face it, sometimes the dudes in there grunt and sweat like monsters. But have no fear! We’re here to help! With a little guidance from the gym staff and a bit of confidence, using fitness equipment doesn’t have to be a fright. Follow these tips from the exercise experts at Life Fitness to overcome the spookiness of unknown fitness equipment!

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Posted on October 20, 2023 by Health Buzz

Disguise Your Halloween Party as a Guilt-Free Good Time

While some Halloween activities are geared towards children, there are plenty of ways to celebrate as an adult that don’t involve the words “trick or treat.”

If you want to celebrate the most ghoulish holiday of the year with your grown-up friends, think a little classier than candy and round up your scariest snacks and creepiest cocktail recipes to scare up some Halloween party fun.

Offer creepy and crawly (if any) candy. When you’re watching your weight, it’s always best to avoid candy and processed sugar. On Halloween,  if you have your heart set on eating Halloween candy, serve the creepy-crawly variety. Gummy worms and spiders, although high in sugar, are often fat-free and will do less damage to your diet than creamy or chocolate candy.

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Posted on October 17, 2023 by Maris

Chipotle Contest Raising Awareness and Funds for Family Farms

Are you ready for the annual Boorito celebration at Chipotle Mexican Grill? This Halloween from 6pm to close come in to your local Chipotle wearing a costume inspired by the family farm and score a $2 burrito, salad, bowl, or order of tacos. All proceeds up to $1 million will benefit Chipotle Cultivate foundation and Farm Aid.

You will also have an opportunity to enter their costume contest in which they are giving away over $7500! There will be one grand prize winner for $2500, five runner up prizes of $1000, and 20 runner-up prizes of a burrito party for 10. To enter the contest, simply take a photo of your family farm-inspired costume inside or in front of a Chipotle restaurant (I suggest you make sure a sign or two are showing) and submit it by uploading or texting it to Chipotle (full contest rules). Contest winners will be displayed in the winner gallery on November 15th.

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Posted on October 14, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Draw Halloween Costume Inspiration from 2024’s Health and Fitness Trends

By Kelsey Murray

Who says that Halloween is only for candy-fueled kids who dress up as scary monsters and the latest comic book characters? Well, maybe most people say that, but it doesn’t have to be true this year for you.

Here’s our list of healthy Halloween costumes for 2024! Be a great influence on your kids, show off your fit bod, or give your favorite home town athlete some love by drawing costume inspiration from healthy sources. Don’t worry, you can still have a piece of candy or two.

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Posted on October 14, 2023 by Health Buzz

Kid-Friendly, Mom-Approved Halloween Party Recipes

Halloween is the perfect time of year to plan a party. Whether you’re organizing a dinner for the kids in the neighborhood before they head out trick or treating or supplying refreshments for a class party, keep the menu healthy to offset the sugar high that’s sure to follow.

Contain your kids’ sugar highs the Halloween with homemade treats instead of store-bought cake, cookies and candy. Not only is it healthier for kids to eat less fat and sugar, but if you’re trying to watch your own weight, you won’t feel tempted by leftover candy.

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Posted on October 10, 2023 by Maris

Gluten Free Treats for Classroom Halloween Parties

October brings about the official start of holiday parties. For parents of school aged children, this season will last all the way until February. It’s a fun and exciting time for kids. It can also be a frustrating time for a child with a gluten allergy.

The season kicks off with Halloween and fall classroom parties. Whether you’re the parent of a child with gluten allergies or needing to be conscience of other children, there are several easy and fun treats you can prepare.

While there are many brands of gluten free flours to make particular baked goods, this list is comprised of items that are naturally gluten free and available at all stores. When it’s understood how easy gluten free cooking is, it’s even simpler to make the extra effort to accommodate.

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Posted on October 3, 2023 by Lacy

Eliminate Halloween Candy Without Eating It

You are working hard to minimize your intake of sugar and processed foods, but you don’t want your children to miss out on the fun of Halloween and dressing up and trick or treating. Maybe you want to minimize the sugar and processed food your children eat and teach them healthy eating habits.

What are you going to do with all that Halloween candy?!?

You could simply throw it out, but you risk complaints from the kids. Plus, what are you teaching them other than denying them indulgence? You could hide it in that cabinet above the refrigerator, hoping the kids (and you) forget about it- but will that work? (more…)

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Empty Calories: Halloween’s Trick

See more Empty Calories right here in the blog each week, or receive one each month when you subscribe to our free newsletter. (more…)

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Natalie K

Candy Experiments Eliminate Halloween Sugar High in a Fun Way

Houses across America have either already been inundated with bucket loads of candy, or they’re starting to brace themselves for Sunday night’s onslaught. Kids aren’t the only victims of the sugar high and calorie binge that’s about to take place, moms and dads are just as, if not more, likely to dip their hands into the trick-or-treat stash.

What to do? Sure you could handout toothbrushes… but really? Temporary tattoos, scary baby carrots, goody bag yo-yos and sugar-free gum are all healthy alternatives, but where’s the fun in that? Put that candy to good use!

Go ahead and let your kids rake in as much candy as possible. Then, spend an afternoon experimenting with the candy! Instead of burning brain cells on refined sugar, fuel their brain cells with fun-filled knowledge.

We cruised around the Web and found some pretty cool candy experiments. All of these make for some cheap fun that uses all that Halloween loot in a practical, fun and non-wasteful way. Just like in high school chemistry… don’t eat anything in the lab! (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Natalie K