These are typical Halloween Trick or Treats. Today I share 3 real food trick or treat recipes
I often get asked about whether I allow our kids to participate in Halloween festivities or take lolly bags home from parties. The answer is this.
For my family, I prefer to serve them real food because I know it nourishes their body. I make this easier on myself (and them) by simply not having other pretend foods on offer in the pantry or fridge. I also talk to them a lot about how a treat is actually food that helps your body, rather than something that may take away from their health. But I also want them growing up making real food choices for themselves, so I let them participate in celebrations where the food may not be real food, such as Halloween, birthday parties and Christmas.
Do I have a problem with Halloween?
Well no, not really because I know for my own children, they are not exposed to these foods often and I also know they have both learnt even at their tender ages of 9 and 5 that too much of these sugary foods actually make them feel sick. That’s what happens when you are use to eating real food – the pretend stuff really doesn’t taste great for long and you always end up noticing you don’t feel well.
I do think it is somewhat mad that food that isn’t real food is now synonymous with celebratory events. But if these were the only events where these pretend foods were readily available, perhaps it would be ok. The sad reality is these pretend foods make up a considerable amount of what children now eat every day. That’s where the problem lies. Not with celebratory days. The answer is simple really – just eat more real foods #JERF
So our kids will dress up this year and participate in Halloween festivities. In fact, we all super excited because our Australian Tour has us in Lithgow for Halloween and they are having a HUGE Halloween Festival all day Saturday. They close off Main Street and have several precincts set up with day and night long activities. We’re also over the moon because forward thinking Lithgow Council has allowed us to take Kaley (our big green bus and mobile billboard for our mission to Transform Children’s Health In Australia) into the town near Main Street and we’ll be handing out Green Goblin Juice for people to try. Of course, it’s an opportunity to show how real food can taste super delicious and just raise awareness about the state of children’s health in Australia.
Now given all my gibbering about real food, I thought I would share with you these 3 real food trick or treat recipes. Simply click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.
Ghoul Gummies & Gizzards
Witches Hat Pikelets
Green Goblin Juice
Bonus Tip For You
Remember, real food adds to our Children’s Health, and majority of pretend foods really do not. Today there are over 80,000 packaged pretend foods on our supermarket shelf. Choose mainly real food by having this on hand at home first, and minimise the amount of packaged pretend food you have. Also try not to refer to these pretend foods as treats or use them as rewards – this just sends the message to our children that these foods are better than real food. Reward them with real food treats or choose rewards such as activities.
Other Real Food Trick or Treat Ideas
Check this clip for Healthy Halloween Treats on Jamie Oliver’s Family Food Channel – so simple, so quick and so gruesomely awesome.