A Healthy Halloween

It's almost that time again. Where the candy is flowing and the guilt of eating better makes you feel down. This year try something different, there are some healthier sweets out there. I found some on http://www.freefitnesstips.co.uk/4-healthy-halloween-sweet-treats.html. (Picture courtesy of D.Cervantes)

1) Almond & Chocolate Apples

These almond and chocolate apples perfectly combine crunchiness, richness and sweetness to create a unique Halloween treat. They also provide you with an excellent mix of carbohydrates,healthy fats and protein. In addition to this, they pack just 300 calories per almond and chocolate apple.

Ingredients:
- 4 Medium Red Delicious Apples (596g)
- 100g Of Milk Chocolate
- 40g Of Finely Chopped Almonds

Instructions:
1. Twist the stems off each of the four apples and then insert the wooden sticks into their cores.
2. Chop the chocolate into chunks, place it into the microwaveable bowl and microwave it until it’s fully melted.
3. Once the chocolate is fully melted, grab the wooden sticks with apples and dip each one into the chocolate until it’s fully coated.
4. Once all four apples are fully coated in chocolate, place them on the chopping board and sprinkle an equal amount of almonds on each one, ensuring that they are fully covered.
5. Place the four apples on the baking tray and then put it in the fridge until the chocolate sets (this usually takes about an hour).
6. Once the chocolate is fully set, simply grab the almond and chocolate apples directly from the fridge and enjoy.

Yield:
- 4 * 184g Almond & Chocolate Apples

Calories:
- 1,200 Calories Total
- 300 Calories Per Almond & Chocolate Apple

Nutritional Information:

Nutrient	Amount Per Almond & Chocolate Apple (g)	Total Amount (g)
Carbohydrates	34.1	136.4
Of Which Dietary Fibre	7.3	29.2
Of Which Sugars	21.5	86
Fat	16.5	66
Of Which Monounsaturated Fat	6.6	26.4
Of Which Polyunsaturated Fat	2.3	9.2
Of Which Saturated Fat	7.6	30.4
Protein	4.4	17.6

2) Ghostly Coconut Bananas

These ghostly coconut bananas are naturally sweet and have a white ghostly appearance that makes them perfect for Halloween. They contain high levels of fibre, manganese,potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C along with just 161 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
- 2 Small, Halved Bananas (202g)
- 200ml Of Orange Juice
- 100g Of Dried, Shredded Coconut
- 12 Raisins

Instructions:
1. Pour the orange juice into the small bowl and then dip each of the four banana halves into the orange juice, making sure they are fully coated.
2. Pour the dried, shredded coconut into the plastic zip bag along with the four banana halves and shake until they are fully coated.
3. Take the four banana halves out of the plastic zip bag and insert a wooden stick into the flat end of each one.
5. Place three raisins on each of the banana halves to create a ghost face.
6. Place the four ghostly coconut bananas on the baking tray, put it in the fridge and then enjoy the ghostly coconut bananas when you are ready to eat.

Yield:
- 4 * 150g Ghostly Coconut Bananas

Calories:
- 644 Calories Total
- 161 Calories Per Ghostly Coconut Banana

Nutritional Information:

Nutrient	Amount Per Ghostly Coconut Banana (g)	Total Amount (g)
Carbohydrates	21.8	87.2
Of Which Dietary Fibre	3.7	14.8
Of Which Sugars	12.9	51.6
Fat	8.6	34.4
Of Which Monounsaturated Fat	0.5	2
Of Which Polyunsaturated Fat	0.1	0.4
Of Which Saturated Fat	8	32
Protein	1.8	7.2

3) Roasted Cinnamon & Honey Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a fantastic healthy snack and a brilliant source of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, protein and zinc. The recipe below turns these highly nutritious seeds into a sweet treat by combining them with cinnamon and honey. The best part is that these roasted cinnamon and honey pumpkin seeds pack less than 200 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
- 100g Of Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Of Honey (36g)
- 1 Tablespoon Of Butter (18g)
- 1 Teaspoon Of Cinnamon (6g)

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 135°C (275 °F).
2. Place the saucepan on the hob on a medium-high heat, add the honey and butter, then melt the butter and honey until they become runny.
3. Once the butter and honey are runny, add the pumpkin seeds to the saucepan and stir them with the wooden spoon until they are fully coated.
4. Once the butter, honey and pumpkin seeds are fully mixed, take the saucepan off the hob, turn off the heat and pour them onto the baking tray.
5. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, ensuring that they are all evenly coated and then place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes, remove the baking tray from the oven and leave the  roasted honey and cinnamon pumpkin seeds to cool for 2 hours.
7. After 2 hours, divide the roasted honey and cinnamon pumpkin seeds into four equal portions, place them in the four small plastic bags and enjoy them whenever you like.

Yield:
- 4 * 40g Roasted Cinnamon & Honey Pumpkin Seeds

Calories:
- 684 Calories Total
- 171 Calories Per Serving

Nutritional Information:

Nutrient	Amount Per 25g Serving (g)	Total Amount (g)
Carbohydrates	20.9	83.6
Of Which Dietary Fibre	0	0
Of Which Sugars	7.4	29.6
Fat	8.5	34
Of Which Monounsaturated Fat	2.6	10.4
Of Which Polyunsaturated Fat	2.5	10
Of Which Saturated Fat	3.5	14
Protein	4.7	18.8

4) Spooky White Chocolate Strawberries

Strawberries are traditionally a summer fruit but by coating them in a little white chocolate you can turn them into a sweet and healthy Halloween treat. In terms of nutrition, these spooky white chocolate strawberries are loaded with coumarin, ellagic acid, iodine, pelargonidin and vitamin C. Plus, they’re very light and contain just 51 calories per spooky white chocolate strawberry.

Ingredients:
- 4 Large Strawberries (72g)
- 30g Of White Chocolate
- 12 Chocolate Chips

Instructions:
1. Chop the white chocolate into chunks, place it into the microwaveable bowl and microwave it until it’s fully melted.
2. Once the white chocolate is fully melted, grab the strawberries and dip each one into the chocolate until they’re coated up to the stem.
3. Once all four strawberries are coated in white chocolate, place them on the chopping board and add three chocolate chips to each one to create a spooky face.
4. Place the four strawberries on the baking tray and then put it in the fridge until the chocolate sets (this usually takes about an hour).
5. Once the chocolate is fully set, simply grab the spooky white chocolate strawberries directly from the fridge and enjoy.

Yield:
- 4 * 25g Spooky White Chocolate Strawberries

Calories:
- 204 Calories Total
- 51 Calories Per Serving

Nutritional Information:

Nutrient	Amount Per Spooky White Chocolate Strawberry (g)	Total Amount (g)
Carbohydrates	7.1	28.4
Of Which Dietary Fibre	0.5	2
Of Which Sugars	6.3	25.2
Fat	2.5	10
Of Which Monounsaturated Fat	0.7	2.8
Of Which Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2	0.8
Of Which Saturated Fat	1.5	6
Protein	0.6	2.4