Festive Foods for Halloween, Besides Candy

Candy corn, marshmallow peeps, and fun-size chocolate bars are classic Halloween staples. While there’s nothing wrong with eating these sweets, we’ve rounded up six sweet and savory festive alternatives to try that are loaded with nutrients.  

1. Ghoulishly Good Green Smoothie

The Ghoulishly Good Green Smoothie combines bananas, peanut butter, plant-based milk, and avocado to give it its spooktacular color. Avocados, also known as alligator pears, contain monounsaturated fats. This healthy fat helps to reduce bad cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. 

Try This: To add an even more festive twist, use a semi-permanent black marker to draw a pumpkin face onto the outside of a glass mason jar. Then pour the smoothie into the mason jar, and add frozen blueberries on top. 

Nutrition Information: 1 smoothie | 223 calories, 18g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 15g total carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, 5g sugar, 4g protein *used 2 Tbsp almond butter

2. Freaky Halloween Salad 

Ready to take your salad to the next level? Try this Freaky Halloween Salad. Grab edamame, romanesco, spiralized carrots, white, purple, and orange cauliflower. Combining these usual and unusual veggies to create an edible nest. Moreover, this salad is loaded with fiber. Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that increases satiety, may help with blood sugar regulation, and assists in bowel regularity.

Try This: If you can’t find romanesco, no problem. Replace it with broccoli instead.

Nutrition Information: 1 cup salad, 1/2 cup dressing | 101 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 7mg cholesterol, 107mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 4g sugar, 3g protein

3. Apple Monster Mouths

If you’re looking for a crunchy and creamy holiday snack, try Apple Monster Mouths. Apples contain approximately 80 percent water, so combining them with sunflower seeds, strawberries, creamy peanut butter, and candy eyes will make this snack a healthier and hydrating replacement for candied apples. 

Try This: If you or a loved one is allergic to peanut butter, swap it out for almond butter. 

Nutrition Information: 1 monster mouth | 81 calories, 4g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 9g total carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 6g sugar, 2g protein

4. Candy Corn Fruit Parfait

Are you looking for a candy corn substitute? A festive parfait made with fresh pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and vanilla yogurt is the way to go. Pineapples and oranges contain vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that is needed for wound healing and helps support the immune system.

Try This: Swap out regular vanilla yogurt for a high-protein Greek yogurt to up the protein of this parfait.

Nutrition Information: 1 parfait | 175 calories, 0.4g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 55mg sodium, 30g total carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 22g sugar, 12g protein *used nonfat plain greek yogurt

5. Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

Move over traditional deviled eggs; this classic recipe became more festive. The only thing that sets regular deviled eggs apart from pumpkin deviled eggs is the addition of red and yellow food coloring to the yolk. The food coloring gives it a vibrant orange color. Nutritionally speaking, one medium egg contains 6 grams of protein. Eggs are essential for proper growth and development, healthy aging, and performance. 

Try This: To spice things up, try smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. 

Nutrition Information: 1 egg | 63 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 95mg cholesterol, 0g total carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 0g sugar, 3g protein

6. Fruit Bat Skewers

This three-ingredient skewer combines blackberries, green grapes, and cantaloupes to give off a festive black, green, and orange undertone. To make the bat skewer, cut bat wings out of black construction paper, glue them on top of your skewer and load on the fruit. The great thing about fruits is that they are a rich source of antioxidants. These tiny, invisible compounds help prevent cell damage and protect the body from diseases. 

Try This: Replace the cantaloupe with cubed cheese to create the perfect pairing of sweet, juicy, and savory.

Nutrition Information: 1 skewer | 20 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 3g sodium, 8g total carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 3g sugar, 1g protein

The Bottom Line:

These Halloween swaps taste so good that it’s frightening. Whether you like a sweet or savory snack, try these healthier festive alternatives that are packed with nutrients.

Which of the above healthier swaps do you like the most? Please share your choice with us in the comments below.