Halloween Healthy Treats

If I were to have told my kids or grand kids that we were going with a healthy treat for a Halloween party, they would have hissed and booed like crazy.  How boring! Right?  Well, maybe not so boring.  Take a look at some of these great and fun snack ideas.

 

This guy would be great for adult gatherings, office parties, as well as the kid classroom.  Or, just do it as a special treat for the kids.  Add a little yogurt dip and keep it healthy.  Dip suggestions below. 

Top your favorite casserole with veggies, pretzels, boiled eggs, crackers and a bit of imagination and you have a great family dinner surprise.

Office, school, home - anywhere!  This simple little plate of veggies, combined with a bit of cottage cheese dip, veggie dip and yogurt dip makes for a quick and entertaining center piece.  Dip suggestions below.

Again, how fun is this guy?   Kids will be willing to eat this up and never realize just how healthy they are being.  The variety is great.  I bet you could add a few more goodies if you put your mind to it.  Add veggie dip or black bean dip for a perfect finishing touch.  Dip suggestions below.



So there it is.  Tempting and healthy snacks for October.  Actually - these could be made to work any time of the year.

Oh yeah - a few dip suggestions -

VEGETABLE DIP

2 c. plain lowfat yogurt

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained

1/3 c. minced fresh onion

1 env. (0.9 oz.) vegetable recipe soup mix

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients (except raw vegetables for dipping). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as a dip for raw vegetables. Makes approximately 3 cups.

COTTAGE CHEESE VEGETABLE DIP           

1 carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 pkg.  onion soup mix

Blend cottage cheese and stir in the soup mix.  Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

COTTAGE CHEESE DIP

1 (24 ounce) container cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated

2 green onions, sliced thinly

2 -3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

black pepper

Mix all above ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

For best results, use regular cottage cheese and sour cream, rather than reduced fat.

This will help form a thicker dip.

AVOCADO  DIP

 2 avocados, halved with pits removed

 2 tomatoes, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

 1/2 cup diced sweet onion

 1 lemon, juiced

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Scoop flesh out of the avocado and place it in a medium size mixing bowl. Mash the avocado well. Add lemon juice to the avocado and mix well. Place tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, onion, cottage cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the mixing bowl; stir until the ingredient are combined. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE DIP

2 cups black beans, cooked or canned

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin, powdered

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. red pepper, powdered

Place all the ingredients in a blender

Make absolutely sure you add the beans first! If you put the spices in first, you will create a paste so thick that it will jam your blender!

Run at "high" until smooth.

It may be necessary to stop the blender from time to time, and mix the ingredients with a spoon or spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly and uniformly mixed.