Have fun with these Halloween snacks!
Editor’s note: Amy Deahl-Greenlaw is a registered dietician nutritionist who works with Healthy NewsWorks.
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By Amy Deahl-Greenlaw
October 2017 … Turn cheese sticks into fingers and clementines into pumpkins.
There’s no trick to making these healthy Halloween treats. If you ask children to get involved, you can have even more fun preparing for Halloween festivities.
For the festive fingers, you will need low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, cream cheese (any variety will do but I recommend light or whipped), and a bell pepper (your favorite color).
First unwrap a cheese stick. Using a knife, lightly make a few cuts in a horizontal direction across the stick to look like the creases in a finger. (Use a plastic knife. It is a safer tool for younger children.)
Next prepare the pepper to make the fingernails. Wash and remove seeds from the pepper. Cut into wide strips, about the width of cheese stick. Cut the strips into 1-inch pieces. Trim the piece into a fingernail shape. Then fasten the “fingernail” to the cheese stick with a dab of cream cheese.
For the festive fruity pumpkins, you will need a small stalk of celery and either a clementine or tangerine. (Clementines are easier to peel and mostly seedless). Carefully peel the fruit so it remains intact. Use your finger to make a small hole at the top where the segments come together. Insert the celery to make your pumpkin stem.
These snacks are good alternatives to sweets. Candy doesn’t have to be front and center of Halloween fun. A quick Google search turns up some creative snack ideas.
To add to classroom festivities, I love to read a Halloween story. My favorite story is Scarlett Angelina Wolverton-Manning by Jacqueline Ogburn. It’s an entertaining story that will amuse children ages 5 and older.
Kids also enjoy playing a “spooky bingo” game. It’s like regular bingo but the cards have Halloween themes.
Enjoy the festivities!
