Healthy Tricks and Treats
Halloween may be different this year, but we can still keep it sweet, healthy, and fun! There’s tons of different ways to celebrate this Halloween in a safe and socially distanced fashion. Try our easy, kid-friendly recipes to bring the fun into your own festive kitchen.
Our Pumpkin Pie Bites are a blend of dates, oats, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and pumpkin puree rolled into small, bite-sized balls. They taste great, and they’re a healthy substitute for candy!
You can get festive with our Pumpkin Tangerines by peeling a tangerine and sticking a celery stalk into the top to create a pumpkin. It’s an easy snack to make at home for busy parents.
Make our Candy Corn Parfait by layering plain yogurt, mandarin oranges, and pineapple into a clear cup. You get the same candy corn feel but without the sugar.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt!
After you fuel up with these recipes, get moving and go on the hunt for our fun, favorite fall foods and items in and around your home. Your kids are sure to love this activity!
Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere!
Pumpkins aren’t just for carving. Make the most out of your pumpkins by making pumpkin puree and roasting the seeds before you carve your pumpkin. Watch our Common Threads’ Knife Skills Video first, so that you can safely carve your pumpkins, and remember adult supervision is necessary for this activity.
Here’s how you can make our pumpkin puree!
- Using a knife carefully cut off the top of the pumpkin and turn the pumpkin upside down on the now flat top to keep the pumpkin from moving/rolling when cutting.
- Cut the pumpkin in half.
- Pull out the pumpkin seeds and other ‘guts’
- Rinse the pumpkin seeds and set aside!
- Roast the pumpkin halves in the oven at 350 F for about 40- 45 minutes to soften. Let cool.
- Take a melon baller or ice cream scoop and scoop out the pumpkin flesh and puree in a food processor and your pumpkin is ready to use in your favorite recipe (try our pumpkin pie bites!)
There are so many delicious recipes that you can include your pumpkin puree into for extra fall flavors, such as our yummy Pumpkin Smoothie or Pumpkin Hummus. But don’t forget about the seeds! Learn how to roast your own pumpkin seeds by following our easy recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. Then you can add them to your Trail Mix for a protein rich snack on the go. Happy Halloween!
 Pumpkin Hummus |  Roasted Pumpkin Seeds |
**Recipe Photo Cred: Laura Heineman
ABOUT COMMON THREADS
Common Threads is a national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness. We equip under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn and play. We know that food is rooted in culture and tradition, so we promote diversity in our lessons and recipes, encouraging our participants to celebrate the world around them. To learn more, visit www.commonthreads.org or on social media by searching for #CookingForLife.
