A Treat for You: 6 Tips for a Healthier Halloween Season
Halloween season is here: a time for jack-o-lanterns, hayrides and sugar-laden treats. But we’re all aware that the food and candy that often comes with this holiday is more like a TRICK, setting us back a few steps from reaching our goals. No need to fear…here are 7 ways to treat yourself well this holiday season.
1. Make an Orange Strawberry Dream Smoothie like the one in the photo above. (OK, maybe it’s more like an Orange-Green.) This morning, I used my new Vitamix to blend this Vitamin C packed smoothie with 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 orange, 6 frozen strawberries, 3 celery stalks, 1 carrot, couple apple slices, and 1 baby cucumber. The combination is great for your hair & skin, and gives you just the right amount of a.m. energy!
2. Read the Labels on all your favorite Halloween candies. You’d be shocked to find out how much sugar some of them pack on, like the whopping 32 grams in 19 pieces of candy corn. That’s almost 2 grams of added sugar per tiny corn, and we know how quickly that can add up!
3. Get…Sweaty. Change up your usual fall activity routine and try something out of the box, like this Trick or Treat Halloween workout put on by Ultimate Bootcamp. Instructors will dole out fitness challenge “tricks” and attendees will be rewarded with “treats” like goody bags and special prizes. The event takes place at Fillipello Park in Watertown on Saturday, October 27th at 9 a.m. Not from the Boston area? Ask your local YMCA or gym if they are doing anything special for Halloween.
4. Load Up on Fall Vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. Eating in season is not only good for your health, but you can most likely save a few bucks too!
5. Don’t Toss Your Pumpkin Insides just yet! Save the seeds to roast your own pumpkin seeds, with delicious combos like sea salt & garlic, cinnamon & agave syrup or just a dash of sea salt.
6. Trade in Your Store-bought Cocoa for homemade. Melt your own dark chocolate chips and combine with steamed milk, use raw cacao powder instead of chocolate syrup or use a more natural hot cocoa mix like Trader Joe’s Sipping Chocolate.
Happy Halloween-ing! I’m off to New Hampshire to enjoy the last bits of fall foliage while I can…
