Halloween is a time of fun and excitement for kids and adults! This year I will be treating some tiny trick-or-treaters to some fun snacks at home. Here are some ideas:

• Better for your treats: whole grain chips, pretzels, dried fruits such as apricots, apples, cranberries and raisins, animal crackers, single serve ready to eat boxes of cereal.
• Non-food treats: glow-sticks, stickers, play-doh, toothbrushes, miniature magnifying glass, fancy pencil topper erasers, bookmarks and coloring books.
• Invite your guests to make their own chocolate covered apples and dip in pecan pieces, coconut, or cereal.
• Bake quick breads such as zucchini and banana bread – add apples, pears or dried fruits for extra sweetness and nutrients.

Handling candy at home

• Keep candy in a location only accessible to you. Consider giving away the candy or disposing of it after a few days.
• Inventory the Halloween treats for forbidden and safe treats; allow a few pieces on Halloween night.
• Give one piece of candy along with a healthy food such as fresh fruit or at the conclusion of a healthy lunch or dinner.
• Always brush your teeth after eating candy – perhaps there is a new toothbrush in your Halloween bag!

Chocolate Apple Owls

These Halloween owls are the perfect treat for a party or kids craft!

Prep: 15 Minutes

Makes: 8 Pops

• 2 Apples
• 23 ounces Hershey’s semi-sweet or Dark chocolate chips
• 1 bag Oreo Cookies
• 8 Orange M&M’s or Goldfish
• 16 Candy Eyeballs OR Brown M&M’s
• 8 Wooden candy sticks

Directions:

1. Slice apples ½ inch thick. Remove seeds. Push the wooden candy stick into the bottom of each apple slice. Place apples on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Place chocolate chips into a glass bowl, microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Place the melted chocolate bowl into another larger bowl with boiling water so that the chocolate will not harden.
3. Dip each apple slice into the chocolate until covered front and back, use a spoon to help cover the apple.
4. Lay flat onto the parchment paper, decorate each slice while the chocolate is still wet.
5. To decorate: Separate Oreos, the half with the cream will be used as the eyes while the half without the cream will be cut in half again to be used as eyebrows. (See photo)

Next add a dot of melted chocolate onto each creamed Oreo then add candy eyeballs or brown M&M as the eyes.

Follow with Orange M&M or candy corn as the nose.

1. Continue until all owls are prepared and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from fridge and enjoy!

Recipe: Jacqueline Gomes, MBA, RDN