Trick-Or-Treat: Healthy Treats Kids Actually Want

Kids look forward to Halloween each year; whether it's the costume they've chosen to wear, the party they're going to attend, or the promise of a bucket full of candy, Halloween is a highly anticipated holiday. If you plan on passing treats out to the children from the neighborhood (or have a house full of miniature goblins and ghouls), you'll need to decide between something that kids love (candy) or something healthier... or do you? Before you head to your nearest store for jumbo bags of individually wrapped candies, consider these healthier, easy-to-make treats that kids are guaranteed to love.

Click here to see the Healthy Treats Kids Actually Want in Their Trick-or-Treat Bag (Slideshow)

Surprisingly, there are a number of healthy foods that kids already love (so there's no need to be that person that hands out toothbrushes or boxes of raisins instead of chocolate bars!). Take advantage of ingredients that kids love and present them in fun and festive ways. An apple wrapped in ribbon to resemble a mummy, for example is much more appealing to kids on Halloween than a plain apple.

One of the most important things to consider if you're planning to make healthy Halloween treats for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters is safety. This means you'll have to pay attention to proper food handling techniques (wash your hands regularly and individually wrap treats so that trick-or-treaters don't share germs when they're choosing a snack), watch out for choking hazards (young children who may choke shouldn't receive hard candies, for example), and consider potential food allergies (nut allergies are common — it's always good to have a nut-free option handy).

If you want to hand out healthier trick-or-treat snacks this year (or if you're hosting a spooky Halloween party and need a few ideas for healthier treats), we've got some suggestions.

(Credit: Shutterstock)
It's easy to make crackers from scratch. Try making whole-wheat crackers cut into spooky shapes with cookie cutters for a snack kids will love. Need a cracker recipe?

(Credit: Shutterstock)
Small round fruits like figs or strawberries make very spooky (and fiber-rich) chocolate-covered treats. Dip figs in white chocolate that's been tinted orange and then pipe lines on them so that they resemble pumpkins. Or, dip strawberries into white chocolate, place them upside-down, and pipe two black dots for eyes and you'll have instant ghosts. Small apples and pears work as well.

Click here to see more of the healthy treats kids actually want in their trick-or-treat bag.

Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.

This article was originally published on October 14, 2014