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Healthy Halloween: Six Treat Re-Makes with Healthier Options

Healthy Halloween: Halloween is undoubtedly a highlight for many of our kiddos, but the sugar crash can very quickly turn it into a parent’s nightmare. This guide highlights some alternatives that keep with the Halloween theme but without all the nasty ingredients.

 

Healthy Halloween: Ingredients to Avoid

The list of genuinely spooky ingredients packed in Halloween candy can lead to an array of short term and long term health complications. From spiked blood sugar to inflammation and allergies, Halloween candy is loaded with junky ingredients.

Some of the key ingredients that can turn a treat into a nasty trick include:

  • Soy
  • Gluten
  • Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
  • Refined dairy, including milk solids, milk fat, skim milk, and lactose
  • Refined oils, including partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, canola oil, sunflower oil
  • Preservatives, including sodium benzoate, polysorbate 60, 65, or 80, sulfites (sulfur dioxide), nitrites, BHT/BHA, and TBHQ
  • ‘Natural’ flavors and artificial flavors (both which are highly unnatural)
  • Artificial colors

The recipes below use various alternatives, including stevia and monk fruit (low glycemic sweeteners), as well as the natural sweetness of fruit! There’s no reason children can’t enjoy Halloween without having to consume highly inflammatory ingredients.

Alternative Recipes for a Healthy Halloween

 

BooNana GhostPops

healthy-halloween

These frozen banana pops are dipped in yogurt and frozen for a spooky, nutritious treat!

Ingredients:

(makes four pops)

  • 2 bananas
  • 1 cup of yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
  • 3 TBS of raw honey (optional)
  • 8 chocolate chips
  • Shredded coconut (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Cut the bananas into two, stick wooden paddle pop in the cut bottom half, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes on wax or baking paper.
  2. While the bananas chill, mix the yogurt and honey.
  3. Dip the bananas in the yogurt mixture and place back on the sheet and into the freezer for 15 minutes
  4. Dip once more, and this time add the chocolate chip eyes to the ‘ghosts.’
  5. Can be rolled in shredded coconut as well (optional)
  6. Freezer for another 20 minutes and serve!

Pumpkin Spice Nut Butter Balls

healthy-halloween

Energy balls are an excellent way to have easy and nutritious snacks on hand, and this recipe tweaks a few ingredients to make epic pumpkin-spiced balls that the whole family can enjoy! You can skip all the spices and simply add 2 tablespoons of a pre-made pumpkin spice mix if you have it; just make sure to read the ingredients listed as many of these pre-made mixes sneak in sugar!

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup almond flour (any nut flour will do)
  • 4 tablespoons almond nut butter (any nut butter will do)
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 scoops of collagen powder
  • 2 tablespoons stevia or monk fruit sweetener
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • ⅛ tsp cloves
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon almond milk (any nut milk will do)

Instructions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth
  2. Form 1 inch balls, refrigerate 1-2 hours to set

Real Fruit Gummies

healthy-halloween

Gummies usually are filled with refined sugar and artificial colors. Believe it or not, this gelatin-rich recipe is gut healing and supercharged with nutrients. You can up the Halloween ante by buying all sorts of spooky shapes, like worms, bats, or ghosts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fruit (frozen fruit works great) like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or mango
  • ½ cup of filtered water
  • 2.5 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin powder
  • 15 drops liquid stevia
  • Powdered monk fruit sweetener (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Puree the fruit and water in a high-speed blender
  2. In a saucepan, heat over low heat and stir in the gelatin until it is well combined (no lumps)
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the stevia. Taste the mixture to see if you want to add more stevia (to taste).
  4. Pour the mixture into your molds or into a glass container (you can also cut the jelly into cubes)
  5. Cool completely in the fridge for 3 hours to let the jelly set.
  6. Roll in powdered monk fruit (optional)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pumpkin Cups

healthy-halloween

Chocolate and peanut butter are a Halloween classic, but the classic kinds given out in orange wrappers are filled with ingredients that spike blood sugar, amongst other issues. This recipe gives the originals a serious run for their money, with all the taste but none of the milk solids, preservatives, or refined sugars.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup organic natural smooth peanut butter (the kind with just peanuts)
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or liquid stevia
  • 1 cup dark chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions:

  1. Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut flour in a bowl until well combined, and it turns into a dough.
  2. Shape the dough into flat pumpkins and place in the freezer on a baking tray lined with baking paper for 20-30 minutes
  3. While they are child, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double broiler until melted, and set aside to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Dip the pumpkins in the chocolate mixture and place it back on the tray.
  5. Freeze 5-10 minutes and repeat dipping the chocolate mixture until they are well coated. This could take 2-3 dips!

Healthy Halloween No-Sugar Sugar Cookies

Healthy-halloween

Sugar cookies are a Halloween classic, but this recipe skips the refined sugars in favor of glycemic-friendly monk fruit sweetener. The kids will never know!

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1.5 cup almond butter
  • ¾ cup almond milk
  • 2.5 cups almond flour
  • 1.5 cups coconut flour
  • ⅖ cup of coconut oil (solid)
  • 2 cups monk fruit sweetener
  • 3 tsp vanilla bean or vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp cream of tartar
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp powdered monk fruit sweetener (to sprinkle on the cookies)
  • Optional: Halloween decorations (like sprinkles and icing) — opt for the kind you can find at natural food stores without nasty ingredients.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the liquid ingredients (eggs, almond butter, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract) until smooth. You can use a fork or an electric hand blender.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, monk fruit sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt).
  4. Using your hands, slowly mix in the liquid into the dry mixture, mixing as you go to form a dough.
  5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
  6. While you wait, mix the topping monk fruit and cinnamon, and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. On the baking sheet, roll out the dough using a rolling pin, and using a Halloween-shaped cookie cutter, cut shapes and place onto a baking tray. Alternatively, you can simply roll cookies into 1 inch balls and press down with your hand to form round cookies.
  8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes and let cool for a few minutes before serving!

Healthy Halloween Candy Apples

This old school Halloween classic is one of the easiest healthy-swaps that skips over the refined sugars in favor of a sticky caramel made with dates and coconut.

Ingredients:

  • 3 small/ medium organic apples
  • 3 sticks to hold the candy apples
  • 16 pitted Medjool dates
  • ¾ cup of coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (or extract)
  • Optional: 1 cup of crushed almonds to roll the candy apples in)

Instructions:

  1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend on high until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Puncture the apples through the base of the apple halfway into the core.
  3. Dip the apples into the caramel sauce until it’s fully covered and place them on a tray with baking paper.
  4. Refrigerate the apples for 15 minutes at a time to cool the caramel and dip again until they’re well coated.
  5. Roll the apples in the crushed almonds, and store in the fridge until ready to eat!

Hairy Spiders (Cacao Bliss Balls)

Rolling cacao bliss balls in coconut and making spider legs using all-natural licorice is an easy way to turn a nutritious snack into a spooky Halloween treat!

Ingredients:

  • 15 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • ½ cup shredded coconut + ½ a cup to roll the balls in
  • ⅓ cup organic coconut oil or cacao butter (melted)
  • ⅓ cup cacao powder (or carob powder)
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 4 or so strands of all-natural black licorice
  • Optional: chocolate chips for eyes

Instructions:

  1. Place all the ingredients (except for the coconut to roll in) in a food processor and blend until dough forms. The pitted Medjool dates can be used straight up if they are soft, but if they are firm, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes first.
  2. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls
  3. Cut the licorice into small (about 1 inch) pieces, and stick them into the balls to give each ball 8 legs (4 on each side).

 

Hope you enjoy these spooky treats with a healthy twist. Wishing everyone a healthy and safe Halloween!

Grain-Free Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
  • 1/4 cup xylitol
  • 1 tsp. stevia
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • 1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup of dried currants
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Grease 1 muffin pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, stevia and xylitol.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and eggs.
  5. Blend the almond mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then fold the zucchini, pecans and currants (or pumpkin pie spice).
  6. Bake for 50-60 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven.
  7. Let bread cool for 1 hour then serve.

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 tablespoons melted raw butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup xylitol
  • 1 teaspoon stevia
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
  2. Slowly melt butter with stevia and xylitol
  3. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
  4. Mix wet ingredients into dry
  5. Form 1” balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet
  6. Bake for 7-10 minutes
  7. Let cookies cool for 1 hour then serve.

Faith’s Favorite Kombucha

Faith's Favorite Kombucha

  • 3 organic black tea bags
  • 3 organic green tea bags
  • 2 cups of raw, organic cane sugar
  • 2 galled of filtered or Reverse Osmosis water
  • SCOBY starter
  1. Place all ingredients in a stainless stell or clear glass pot.
  2. Bring to a roaring boil on the stove.
  3. Once noiling, turn off the burner, cover and let stand for 15 minutes (for stronger tea flavor, let steep together)
  4. In a seperate 2 gallon glass container put 2 cups sugar
  5. Stir with a wooden spoon (NO metal or plastic)
  6. Let mixture stand until it reaches room temperature
  7. Once at room temperature, add SCOBY starter.
  8. Cover container with a piece of 100% organic cotton and secure
  9. Let mixture ferment for 7 to 10 days; the longer it ferments, the less sweet the kombucha.

For more information on this recipe and more, click here.

Kombucha Chia Jigglers

Kombucha Jello

  • 16 oz. of kombucha
  • 3-4 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin
  • Coconut oil
  1. In a stainless steel pan, pour 8 oz. of kombucha. Set remaining 8 oz. aside.
  2. Whisk in gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add chia seeds.
  3. Heat mixture on low setting to preserve beneficial bacteria in kombucha.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Pour mixture into bowl and incorporate remaining kombucha.
  6. Pour into coconut oil-greased pan or molds and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.
  7. Enjoy!

Can I Drink Coffee While Fasting?

Can I Drink Coffee While Fasting?

When it comes to taking care of our bodies and maintaining good health, one of the best things we can do is intermittent fast, but can drinking coffee while fasting go hand in hand? 

It sounds complicated, but intermittent fasting is actually a very simple concept. The idea is to do a short daily fast, only eating during certain hours of the day. For example, food for that day is consumed between the hours of 2 and 8 pm. As you grow accustomed to intermittent fasting, you can push that window of time to be even more compressed. Some prefer to eat earlier in the day instead of the evening hours, i.e. 9 am to 3 pm, and that works too. The key is consistency and finding what works for your schedule and lifestyle. Fasting is a simple concept, but a question I get often is about coffee while fasting: “Can I have coffee while fasting?” The short answer is “maybe.”  Pure water, organic coffee, tea, and other non-sugary drinks are perfectly acceptable. However, today let’s focus on coffee.

Some people are not willing to give up that morning cup of coffee. I can appreciate this! See if it works for you. For some people, caffeine increases cortisol, which in turn affects glucose. For others, they are not affected. Have your coffee ½ hour after testing your first glucose in the morning. Then test it again after your coffee. If your glucose goes up? Sorry to say this, but consuming coffee while fasting is not a good combination for you. If your glucose remains the same or goes down? You get the green light for coffee! This goes for tea as well. What about cream in your coffee? Test this as well. Sometimes black coffee on a fast is best for people, some people test better with cream in their coffee. Test your glucose 30 min after your cup of coffee, and see.

What are the Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee While Fasting?

cup of coffee with smile

Coffee is a controversial subject. Some tout the health benefits while others are not a fan of daily consumption. I am convinced that coffee qualifies as a health food. There have been over 19,000 studies on coffee, evidencing that it is in a class by itself when it comes to health and wellness.

Here are some of the stats on health benefits of 3-5 cups of coffee per day, courtesy of Purity Coffee:

  • 40% reduced risk of liver disease
  • 30% reduced risk of congestive heart failure
  • 24-40% reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes
  • 30% reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease
  • 22-25% reduced risk of stroke
  • 15% reduced risk of prostate cancer
  • 65% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

One studies found that coffee improves focus and another study found that high decaffeinated coffee consumption was found to be associated with a lower risk of death.1

The health benefits don’t stop there.

Drinking coffee while fasting could positively affects mental and physical performance. Many people are hesitant to exercise while fasting, but coffee on a fast may be helpful here as well. Zach Bitter, an ultramarathon runner, and coach at Zach Bitter Running is a fat adapted athlete who has competed in over 40 ultramarathon competitions. One of his notable accomplishments includes running 100 miles in an American record of 11 hours, 40 minutes and 55 seconds.

During a recent interview with me, Zach admitted he doesn’t like to eat when training. He prefers to work out in the morning, and instead of eating, will have coffee on a fast with coconut or almond milk, and a bit of raw honey. He goes on to say:

“Then I’ll go out, and I’ll train hard for a couple hours, sometimes over three hours. At that point, if I slept eight, nine, ten hours the night before and ate dinner at a normal time, by the time I could get back, I’ve metabolized enough calories to almost put together a fast of over 24 hours. I think just by that lifestyle, you get really fat adapted.”

Not All Coffee is Created Equal

As we can see, coffee on a fast has many amazing benefits, but, there’s one small problem: not all coffee is created equal. Many brands are actually toxic.

Many mass produced and imported coffees (even fancy brands) contain mycotoxins, which have a negative impact on our health. These toxins are created through the way the coffee is roasted and produced (we have very low standards for accepting coffee into the US).

A shocking 95% of these mass produced coffees are heavily treated with pesticides. Over-roasting or under-roasting coffee also produces negative compounds that impact our healing while drinking coffee while fasting. Finally, if you are consuming coffee that is more than 15 days old, the lipids in the coffee can begin to turn rancid, which can contribute to inflammation in the body.

There are several toxins that are found in mass-produced coffee that everyone should be aware of:

Ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin A3 is a naturally occurring foodborne mycotoxin. OTA has been shown to be toxic and carcinogenic in animals.

Acrylamide. Acrylamide is a naturally occurring chemical, found in coffee, which has been shown to cause several types of cancers in animals. Acrylamide occurs based on poor roasting practices.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH’s are found during roasting and brewing, typically when high temperature roasting for darker roasts. PAH’s are suspected to be carcinogenic and mutagenic.

Pesticides. Pesticides (also known carcinogens) may be present in many coffee brands.

Our best efforts to be health conscious can be derailed by consuming the wrong foods. That also applies to drinking coffee. While it has many benefits, the key is to only consume the organic varieties.

We must remember that not all coffees are not created equal. It is all in the proper processing, sourcing, and production of the roasted coffee beans. Of course, certain folks are caffeine/coffee sensitive, and if that’s you, please listen to your body. Also, it’s not generally recommended for pregnant women to consume coffee.

Coffee While Fasting: Sweeteners

Personally, I will use pure a little Stevia extract. However, I also enjoy drinking coffee without anything sweet in it. When I taste a black coffee, I taste a lot of the coffee. When I put the real raw cream in it, it brings on a whole other characteristic of it, and I love it that way as well. However, I am one of those people who can drink coffee while fasting, as it doesn't impact my glucose. Other great sweeteners are butter, MCT oil or coconut oil. Again, if drinking coffee while fasting, you want to test your glucose before and after having any cream, MCT oil, coconut, or natural sweeteners to see how your glucose levels respond. Keep in mind we all respond differently. 

As responsible adults, it is up to us to figure out whether we can benefit from clean, health-conscious coffee consumption while fasting. We must also know our limits, and not to overdo it. Listen to your body. If you’re getting that jittery feeling, you’ve probably overdone it. If your glucose is rising, coffee is affecting your ability to reach ketosis. 

Intermittent fasting is not starvation, nor deprivation.

You’re not eating less, you’re eating less often.

When you do eat, you eat delicious, healthy foods until you feel satisfied. You won’t have to fear healthy fats, grass-fed meats, organic vegetables, or strategic amounts of healthy carbs. You hold off eating to allow your body to burn its own fat, and then eat until you are full.  See how your body responds to coffee while fasting, and test your glucose before and after. If your body responds positively, enjoy that cup of coffee!

 

Reference:

  1. Coffee consumption and total mortality: a meta-analysis of twenty prospective cohort studies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24279995