By Wendy

With Halloween at the end of the month, it’s time to start stocking up on Halloween candy to give the kids that come by the house. With all the different candies out there to choose from, how do you find the healthiest options? Here are 5 healthy Halloween treat alternatives:

1- LÄRABAR bars: these bars have a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients, so you know that they keep it simple. Apple Pie provides 1 full serving of fruit and 5 grams of fiber. Not too sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and raisins, Apple Pie also has almonds, walnuts and natural chewy goodness.

2- Organic Dark Chocolate Bug Bites: Each of these squares contains a fun and educational insect trading card. They have 70% cocoa content and is certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. Another great thing about this chocolate is sourced from ethically traded cacao farms, which ensures fair trade, responsible labor practices and sustainable farming.

3- Unreal 54: similar to chocolate covered peanuts, these sweets delights contain no corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no artificial ingredients, no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), no preservatives, and a low glycemic index.

4- Surf Sweets Gummy Bears: I’m a huge fan of gummy bears, so it’s great to find a healthier version of these sweet little gummy bears. Surf Sweets Gummy Bears are made with organic fruit juice and organic sweeteners. Also contains 100% vitamin C per serving. No corn syrups of GMOs.

5- Equal Exchange Organic & Fairly Traded Dark Chocolate Minis: Equal Exchange minis are made with cacao from the farmer co-operatives CONACADO, in the Dominican Republic, and CACVRA, in Peru, and the fairly traded organic sugar comes from co-operatives in Paraguay.  These delicious, bite-sized Fair Trade chocolates are the way to go! Made of 555% cocoa content, they are also vegan, soy- and gluten-free.

So stock up on some of these delicious treats! And if you don’t happen to give them all away on Halloween, they make great treats for lunch boxes and mid-day pick me ups. What’s your favorite treat?

****

Wendy Yu is a digital marketing professional living in New York City. When she’s not using the power of social media to share ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly, she is exploring the city, trying local foods, and learning more about how she can reduce her carbon footprint.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Green Halloween® or our partners.

This is the great time of year to enjoy apples!

Making your own apple sauce is really easy and it’s a great thing to make with
your kids! They can wash the apples, peel the apples and if they are comfortable with a knife then they can help you chop up the apples too! We sometimes like to have apple sauce as a treat after dinner and sometimes we just love having it as a little snack We prefer to make our apple sauce without sugar, we just choose a naturally sweet and juicy variety of apple like red or golden delicious!

All you need:

• 1 pound of apples
• 5 -6 tablespoons of water
• cinnamon (to taste – we like to use a lot of cinnamon!)

Wash the apples. Peel them, remove the core and then slice into small chunks. Place your apples into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and sprinkle in your cinnamon. Simmer the apples until soft. Be sure to stir often to prevent burning!!! We learned that the hard way Once they are nice and soft you can serve the apple sauce warm or cold!

Happy Healthy Eating

Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

Bill sets out healthy foods on display to begin making butterfly food art

The end result: Beautiful and nutritious butterfly snacks!

I had the chance to chat up Bill and Claire Wurtzel on the phone recently and discovered a whole new world of happy as we discussed how to add healthy food choices to your child’s classroom menu, how to make fun food art, and the great love story of Bill and Claire!  All you need:

• Imagination
• An array of healthy foods set out on display
• A willingness to teach and do
• An Open-Heart and Mind

The Love Story:

It turns out, love can be duplicated at breakfast!

Congratulations to Bill and Claire for celebrating their recent 5oth anniversary!  They are a warm and kind couple with a good cause that they want to share with the world.  Funny Food originated in the kitchen at their home in Manhattan, N.Y.C.  On Sunday mornings, Bill would make breakfast for Claire then create art couture from toast, fruits, eggs, and nuts all in hopes of getting a good laugh out of his wife.  About five years ago Claire prompted Bill to take pictures and the New York Times published them on March 2nd, 2011.  From love story to food story, Bill and Claire now have an up-coming Funny Food Book which will become available April 2012.

Healthy Food Workshops:

School Workshops 10-4

Bill and Claire have a message that they hope reach First Lady Michelle Obama in their quest for combating childhood diabetes and obesity as as getting children to eat a well-balanced breakfast.  Together they have visited New York City schools that have high rates of childhood obesity promoting interactive, hands on learning for kids.  They hold workshops in which they display nutritious breakfast from the different foods groups.  Claire, an educator, speaks up about nutrition while Bill models breakfast in his quirky, funny food way.  I was so inspired by my talk with them that I hope to transpire their ideas to Pinellas County Schools in Florida.  Want to make a difference?  Download copies and print copies to pass out at your next PTA meeting.

Bill Wurtzel's Anthroplum created for Green Halloween!

Let kids get creative by setting out a tray of pre-cut nutritious food shapes for art creation!

Take a pita and crack a smile! Who says you can't play with your food?

Take a pita, crack a smile, throw some eggs on top of her head for a funny hairstyle!

Take eggs and yolk and a lot of imagination to make a peggquin scene!

Make sure your toast is gluten-free or whole-wheat for a healthy alternative

Bill’s Background:

Bill Wurtzel is a renowned guitarist and art director.  He improvises breakfast like a jazz solo!  Check out his musical abilities at Bill Wurtzel.

Bill places his love of jazz in this musically inclined Bosc Player!

Panjo

Granddaughter Daniela:

The proud grandparents mentioned their little granddaughter Daniela a few times and since she lives right next door, its the perfect time for Bebop to make her breakfast too!  She gets in on the breakfast action by creating her own works of art.  Check it out and then prep your counter for foodie fun with your own kids!

Bebop Bill made this for Granddaughter Daniela for a healthy dessert

4 year old Granddaughter Daniela Weis making her own art!

4 year old Daniela's fruity doll art!

Yummy, healthy food art kids just love to design

You do the cutting, let your kids create the art!

Daniela made this scary face for Green Halloween! Good job!

This Cantaloupe Skeleton was made especially for Green Halloween by Bill!

Look for Bill Wurtzel as we feature him in up-coming posts on Green Halloween!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Welcome to Day #31 of our

“31 days of {Green!} Giveaways“

Today’s question: Happy Hallogreen! Are you having a happy, healthy day?

*Attention Facebook fans: Please answer as a comment on our blog, not our Facebook page in order to be entered to win!*

Today is day #31 of our month-long, trick-or-treating party for parents!

Just knock on our door (AKA blog) each day, answer the daily question (in lieu of shouting, “Trick or treat!” – although you are totally welcome to write that as well) and you’ll be entered to win some absolutely fabulous, ever-so-eco-friendly prizes.

Today’s prize package is worth $110!

 
Specialty Gift Basket includes healthy-for-family goodies and other gifts from Nature’s Path.  Ships to continental US and Canada only!

 
One set of three (3) Preserve Jr. Toothbrushes. Value $10. Continental US only.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Add your e-mail address to the comment login, below. (We cannot notify you if we don’t have your e-mail address!)

2. Add a comment (one per e-mail address) with your answer to the question above.

3. Comment must post before 11:59pm PST – TONIGHT

Be sure to review our giveaway rules here. Please note shipping limitations.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook & Twitter for daily reminders & updates for the 31 Days of {Green} Giveaways promotion.

Good luck & have FUN!

(& See you tomorrow )

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.