5 Healthy Halloween Themed Snacks

Looking for 5 healthy Halloween-themed snacks to replace those high-sugar, high-calorie treats with tasty alternatives? Children and adults alike will enjoy a new variety of Halloween goodies. Chances are that they will do so without even noticing that they're eating healthier.

1. Halloween popcorn. Make that candy healthier by replacing the candy dish with a popcorn bowl. This is one of the fastest and easiest healthy Halloween-themed snacks to prepare. Simply mix air-popped popcorn with your choice of Halloween candy to cut down on sugar and calories while still providing the expected Halloween treats.
2. Seeds. Lots of people enjoy snacking on pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. To make these healthy Halloween snacks a little more fun, offer them in Jack-O-Lanterns, real or plastic. If you use a real Jack-O-Lantern, make sure it is well-dried with a large opening on top. Place the seeds in a large bowl at the bottom. If serving to trick-or-treaters, consider adding them to small Halloween-themed plastic bags and tying with orange and black ribbon.
3. Low-fat vanilla yogurt or frozen yogurt. Add orange and black sprinkles to quickly and easily liven up this Halloween-themed snack. Optionally, mix some small candies into the frozen yogurt for a sweet addition.
4. Homemade sugar cookies. These old-fashioned cookies provide a much healthier alternative to the chocolate candy so often eaten on Halloween. Make these healthy Halloween-themed snacks holiday ready by cutting them into pumpkins, witches and other related shapes. Top with a small amount of orange, black or white frosting. Add sprinkles if desired.
5. Chocolate. Yes, chocolate. This often-decried food is not all bad, temporarily relieving stress, improving mood and even providing heart-healthy flavanols. The trick is to choose dark chocolate instead of the more typically consumed milk chocolate. Also, limit the amount eaten by buying small, individually wrapped chocolate instead candy bars.