We all know that sugar destroys dental health. As a family dental practice in Flagstaff, Country Club Dental knows that there’s no way to avoid all surgery treats this Halloween season. However, in moderation and with good oral hygiene habits, kids and adults can enjoy their favorite holiday goodies without guilt. But if you’re looking for ways to cut back on the family’s sugar intake, we have a few healthy Halloween tips for you.
1. Hand Out Healthy Trick or Treat Goodies
Most of us probably go to our local grocery store and buy a gigantic bag of mixed Halloween candies. If we don’t hand out all of that candy, it ends up being an after-school snack or a late-night treat for Mom and Dad. Instead of winding up with leftover candy this Halloween, try handing out one of these treats:
- Yogurt covered raisins
- Mini-pretzel bags
- Organic fruit strips
- Snack-size goldfish bags
- Mini granola bars
- 100% juice boxes
- Healthy fruit snacks
2. Serve Healthy Halloween Party Treats
Whether it’s a party for the adults or an after-school playdate, there’s an unending number of spooky and tasty snacks that can be served this Halloween season. Here are just a few ideas:
- Skeleton Veggie Platter: Choose a healthy dip that can be the head. Use broccoli or kale for the hair and then an assortment of other veggies to create the body.
- Deviled Egg Brains: Simply add a few drops of red food dye to your favorite deviled egg recipe and pipe onto the egg white in the shape of brains.
- Pumpkin Spice Popsicles: Choose a low sugar or dairy-free coconut ice cream, and toss in a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Delish!
- FrankinGuac: Spoon guacamole onto a platter; shape into a rectangle. Place chips near the top of the head. Decorate face as desired with sour cream, refried black beans and olives.
- Shortbread Mummy Cookies: Buy or make your own shortbread cookies. Use two chocolate chips for the eyes and pipe vanilla frosting on as gauze wraps.
- Witch Fingers: Roll date protein balls into the shape of knobby fingers and place an almond sliver for the nail.
3. Play Halloween Games that Don’t Involve Sugar
Not only can you get your kids moving, but with these games, they won’t even miss the sugar!
- Bobbing for Apples: We recommend a shallow bowl to avoid a larger mess.
- Halloween Charades: Have your kids act our different Halloween characters.
- Musical Pumpkins: Cut pumpkin shapes from construction paper and arrange them on the floor; kids must move from pumpkin to pumpkin while music plays, just like in musical chairs.
- Frankenstein Bowling: Paint faces on cans, and then stack the scary the dudes to see how many you knock down in one shot.
- Jack-o’-lantern Mini-Golf: Set up jack-o’-lanterns and aim for that hole in one.
- Capture the Ghost: Just like your favorite backyard game capture the flag, but instead, use white handkerchiefs decorated like ghosts.
As your local dentists in Flagstaff, our team at Country Club Dental, we hope you enjoy the holiday this year with these healthy Halloween tips! And if you’ve been putting off scheduling that cleaning or needed dental work, give us a call today!
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use. Image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay (10/24/2019)
