Okay, so you’ve decided to make your Halloween a green one. You don’t want the trick-or-treaters or party guests coming to your house to ingest any GMOS, dyes, or preservatives. Good for you! Welcome to the Green Halloween movement. So now you’re thinking, “What the heck should my kids eat instead?”  We know it’s tough to sift through all the options, so we at Green Halloween have prepared a stellar list of candy alternatives for you.But not only thinking on the kids but also in the adults, so instead of giving candies you can give one of the best diet pills they will really appreciate it and they will be very thankful with you, mostly if the person is overweight, but also tell them that is better if they take the pills but also have a healthy diet and make exercise.

1. Honest Kids – Honest Tea Drink Pouches

Trick-or-treating through the whole neighborhood can really work up a sweat! Keep the kids hydrated by passing out an Appely Ever After or Berry Berry Good Lemonade. Each pouch is only 40 calories and sweetened with only fruit juice. Plus, Honest Tea participates in the TerraCycle program!

2. Nature’s Path Bars

These granola bars are chock-full of whole grains, protein, and fiber. They also have a gluten free selection. Their best-selling Pumpkin-N-Spice bars goes perfectly with the holiday. Nature’s path is certified by the Non-GMO project. Nature’s Path doesn’t see why healthy food should be boring and tasteless, and we whole-heartedly agree!

3. LÄRABAR

The company’s selection of LÄRABARs , über bar, and ALT bar, are all delicious, and all nutritious. Each LÄRABAR flavor contains no more than 9 ingredients. In addition, LÄRABAR participates in both the TerraCycle program and the Non-GMO project.

4. Bare Naked Fruit Snacks

Bare Fruit snacks are a series of baked apple, mango, and apricot chips. And get this; they are 100% carbon neutral. With apples straight out of Washington State, when Bare Naked says “naked,” they mean it! No added sugar or preservatives.

5. Kind Snacks

The lip-smacking combo of whole nuts, fruits, and whole grains are sublime. Kind believes that if you can’t pronounce and ingredient, it shouldn’t go into your body. Family Circle Magazine even named Kind bars one of the best snacks for kids.

6. Plum Organics: Mashup & Jammy Sammy

Plum Organics minimal processing ensures that the fruit has the highest nutritional value possible. The Jammy Sammy is an organic cereal bars filled with delicious fruit. There’s no high-fructose corn syrup in these babies. Mashups are fruit purée snacks that come in 12 awesome flavors.  Both these snacks come in BPA-free recycled packaging.

7. Bumble Bar Minis

Bumble Bars are scrumptious rice snack bars. They come in 14 different flavors – nutty, fruity, or chocolaty goodness! Their Juno Bars come in similar flavors, but are made with protein-rich quinoa. Bumble takes pride in their commitment to people and the planet. They buy from local co-ops and farms, monitor their waste levels, and even use cornstarch packing peanuts in when shipping products.

8. Barbara’s Snackimals Cookies

These nibbles take animal crackers to a whole new level. With 6 flavors like snickerdoodle and double chocolate, we are going Ape! Barabara’s has been committed to providing customers with healthy, wholesome food for over 40 years.

9. Health Warrior Chia Bars

Chia seeds powered the Aztec Empire, and now they will power you and your little warriors on your trick-or-treating expedition. Chia is the “ultimate superfood,” and Health Warrior has harnessed the power of chia into 6 flavored snack bars.

10. Seasnax Seaweed

I know, I know, you might be a little shocked that we’re suggesting you give away seaweed on Halloween. BUT, seaweed is the vegetable of the sea; it is mineral rich and low in calories. Plus Seasnax has a variety of flavors (Chipotle and Toasty Onion for new recruits and RAW for diehards). So jump right in, the water’s fine

If you know someone who is struggling with their weight loss goals and has expressed interest in trying diet pills, there are a few options you can consider.It’s important to note that these pills should be taken according to the recommended dosage and under the guidance of a healthcare professional. .

For more ideas, check out our Candy Cheat Sheet. Or, check us out on Facebook facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

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?

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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.

By Wendy

With Halloween only a month away and you’re trying to come up with fun party snack recipes the kids will enjoy but are also healthy. Instead of giving the kids a sugary snack, try raisins. They’re just as sweet as any other sugary treat, but they’re 100 times healthier with loads of antioxidants, potassium, fiber and tartaric acid that keep your digestive system happy. Eating ¼ cup raisins equals a single fruit serving.  With vitamin C and a ton of other vitamins, you’ll want to enjoy these all through the year.

Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes- cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin… all the spices used in these Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes make me think of autumn!

What You Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 can (15-ounces) pumpkin

1-1/4 cups Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

Decorating sprinkles

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
Combine all ingredients except raisins in a large bowl.
Beat on medium speed until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into muffin cups.
Bake25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely. Spread frosting on cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

Frosting: Beat until smooth 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup softened butter, 3 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 to 3 teaspoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add orange food coloring, if desired.

Shortcut recipe: Add 1-1/4 cups Sun-Maid Natural Raisins to a spice cake mix. Bake as package directs. Frost cupcakes with prepared vanilla frosting adding orange food coloring, if desired.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

For more raisin recipes like this, go to Sun-Maid Recipes. Sun-Maid has tons of recipes using raisins that you and the family can enjoy throughout the year.

How do you enjoy your raisins?

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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.

By Wendy

It’s always great to have some frozen treats in the fridge, especially when it contains my favorite fruit, the watermelon. Watermelons are delicious and contain lots of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, all helping you to keep your body healthy. If you’re looking for a frosty and fruity dessert, try this watermelon sorbet recipe. This refreshing sorbet is great for dessert or just to enjoy as a snack. It’s also a healthier option to ice cream. Here’s how to make it:

What you need:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

6 cups watermelon chunks, (4-pound watermelon), seeded

2 tablespoons lime juice

What to do:

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. This should take about 45 minutes.

Cover mixture and refrigerate until chilled. This should take around 1 hour.

Place watermelon and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth.

Set a sieve over a large bowl and press the puree through to remove all the tiny seeds.

Whisk in the sugar syrup.

Pour the watermelon mixture into a shallow metal pan and freeze until ice crystals form around the edges, which should take about 30 minutes.

Stir the ice crystals into the center of the pan and return to the freezer. Repeat every 20 minutes until all the liquid is frozen.

Put mixture into a container and place in the freezer for 1- 1½ hours to harden.

How else do you like to enjoy your watermelon?

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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.

by Wendy

The key to most fast food chains is targeting children. Growing up, going to McDonald’s was always something we looked forward. Our parents would order us happy meals, usually consisting of a hamburger, french fries, soda and a great toy, some sort of Disney character that would keep us occupied for hours.

However in recent years, Disney has been trying to promote a healthier lifestyle for families and kids. First it started in their parks and resorts, and now it’s happening in their advertising, promotions, and sponsorships.

Disney recently announced that it will no longer accept any new advertising deals from foods that are considered fast food or high in fat/sugar and does not meet government dietary guidelines on their tv channels, radio stations and websites, where their core demographic is children. This will make Disney the first major media company to take such a bold action to promote healthy food consumption. This won’t go into effect until 2015 due to existing contracts, but it will change how companies similar to Disney market to children.

Let’s take part on this in promoting a healthy lifestyle in our homes with these easy tips:

Keep clean, ready to eat fruits and veggies in the fridge or on the kitchen counter so they are within reach for the kids and family to snack on during the day, instead of giving them the opportunity to reach for a sugary snack.

Make your own frozen treats to keep cool this summer by combining unsweetened fruit juice, water and fresh fruit. Pour into an ice try, add wooden sticks, freeze until solid and enjoy!

Always keep peanut butter in the pantry. It goes well on everything- wheat bread with jelly, smeared on apples, or even dipped with celery sticks.

Some other fun snack recipes you can whip up at home are Juicing, Healthy Pizzas, Bento Boxes, and even Eating Rainbows.

What are some of your favorite fun snack recipes to your kids?

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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.