We are hours away from the weekend, which means it is time for your weekly dose of healthy news! This week we have rounded up stories from Entertainment Weekly, Best Life Diet, and Yahoo! Shine. And while Halloween may be over, we’ve got treats that can be made with your leftover candy.

Eating Healthy on $12 Per Day Food Stamp Budget is Impossible and How the Next President May Make it Worse

With the elections coming up, government programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, could be changed drastically. DIR’s staff writer Lacy J. Hansen tried to feed her family healthy meals on a food stamp budget and barely made it. Read about Lacy’s food stamp project and tell us what you think!

Vanessa Lembo Lost 120 Pounds After Deciding She Was Worth The Change

This week’s true weight loss story features Vanessa from Upstate New York. After Vanessa’s mother’s passed, she knew she had to start living a healthy life. She ditched the bags of Dove chocolate for cardio and weight training. Tell us what you think about Vanessa’s weight loss journey!

Kids Sell Halloween Candy for Cash at Dental Buy Back Programs Across the Country

There is a new trend sweeping the nation – kids selling their Halloween candy back to dentist offices. Tooth decay and cavities are a result of children eating loads of Halloween candy. We found one kid who received $22 for selling his Halloween candy to a local dentist office! This is a neat way to get rid of the sugar high will still giving them a reason to celebrate.
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If you haven’t decided what kind of candy to hand out this year for Halloween, might we suggest Unreal candy? Unreal products are about as healthy and natural as they come, made free of corn syrup, artificial flavoring or colors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, GMOs, and with less sugar, more protein and more fiber than traditional candy.

Unreal is based in Boston, Massachusetts, its candy is produced in the U.S. and Canada, and the ingredients are sourced from all over the world to ensure quality and freshness. Since its launch within the last year or so, it’s already been making waves as the better candy choice. Even celebrities like Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Matt Damon and John Legend are jumping on board to support and endorse the Unreal cause, with a mission to “unjunk the world” with its all-natural products.
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“Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet, Give Me Something Good to Eat!” is the anthem sung by children everywhere on Halloween. We’re not advocating the smelling of feet because, eww yuck. But, giving them something good to eat? Let’s get on that already! Children have been asking for years, so why don’t we listen?

This year, fill the jack-o-lantern pails with a treat that’s good for them and that they’ll actually enjoy eating. Yeah, we think kids should have more fruits and vegetables too. But, if you put an orange in those tubs, it’s not likely to make it to their bellies.

We scoped out some of the healthier treats available this year in cute Halloween packaging so you can feel good about giving them something less scary this year!

Angie’s Kettlecorn

We were skeptical when we got a big bag, and then thankful that we got a big bag! This stuff is so darn good the biggest and smallest of goblins and ghouls will enjoy.

What’s In It: Four things – popcorn, corn oil, sugar, sea salt. That’s it!

The Numbers: The individual half-ounce bags have 70 calories and 4 grams of sugar.

Comparison: 1 roll of Smarties has 6 grams of sugar.

Where Is It: We found them at Target in a 24-pack for $7.99
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If you haven’t jumped on the banana ice cream train yet, it’s time! After trying it for ourselves the first time this summer, we’ve been spinning our wheels to come up with new flavor ideas so we can keep enjoying this healthy, easy-to-make treat.

Banana ice cream is so simple to make. It’s essentially pre-peeled, sliced or loosely chopped frozen bananas whirled into a magical soft serve dessert in a blender or food processor. You can eat it as is and it’s quite delicious, if you enjoy the flavor of bananas. Or you can add in fun toppings like we did this time.
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