Candy apples are a fun treat for Halloween, but they are not the healthiest option. While it does let you and your kids have a juicy apple, it is covered in sugary candy, which brings a 95-calorie green apple to one that is close to 300 calories. Not to mention these aren’t the best thing for your teeth. Functional Medicine Los Angeles, a provider of functional medicine Burbank, introduces you to some healthier options for making candy apple treats:
Apple slices with caramel drizzle – Instead of covering the entire apple with a thick coating of caramel or other sugary candy substance, you can instead cut the apple into slices and simply drizzle it with caramel sauce. You are going to get the same caramel or candy apple flavor, but a lot less of it is used, so it is considerably healthier.
Caramel green grapes – Another option is to instead take green grapes and turn them into a caramel fruit treat. Heat up your preferred type of caramel so that it can be used for dipping. While that is heating up, rinse your grapes and put short skewers into each one of them. Once the caramel is ready, transfer it to a bowl, then dip the grapes into the caramel, but just cover the tip of the grape. Now sprinkle some chopped nuts or seeds on top and set them on parchment paper until the caramel cools and dries.
Chopped apple salad – A chopped apple salad is perfect for a quick and healthy snack, or a light dessert. You can even have this yummy fruit salad for breakfast. You will start with some chopped green apples in a bowl, then add your choice of nuts, such as peanuts or walnuts. You can then add some chopped pretzel pieces and drizzle caramel over the top.
Baked apples with caramel and pecans – For more of a dessert option, make baked apples. These aren’t just good for Halloween, but any type during the fall. Bake some apples with cinnamon sprinkled on top, allowing you to enjoy the flavor and scent of fall. When they are done baking, sprinkle pecans on top and add your drizzled caramel sauce.
Halloween Soup: Healthy Soups For Halloween Night
For the last section of the Healthy Halloween report, we are going to talk about soup! Soup is an ideal option for any cold evening, but especially for nights like Halloween when you want to enjoy the holiday but also have some comfort food. The problem is that many soups are cream-based, and while delicious, they aren’t the healthiest option. The following soups are healthy, have a lower amount of fat and calories, and contain fall ingredients like pumpkin and squash.
Simple Pumpkin Soup
This recipe comes from Minimalist Baker and is a delicious yet simple pumpkin soup. It is a great soup to have on Halloween since you are going to use pumpkin puree and can even find use for those pumpkin seeds. You can either use canned pumpkin or roast a pumpkin and make your own puree. It will taste delicious either way. This simple pumpkin soup is made with pureed pumpkin, shallots, garlic, maple syrup, coconut milk, broth, and seasonings.
Find the recipe here: http://minimalistbaker.com/simple-pumpkin-soup/.
Butternut Squash Soup
Another fall vegetable that makes a perfect soup is butternut squash. This butternut squash soup is available on FoodNetwork.com and features butternut squash, chicken stock, onion, butter, and nutmeg. As you can see, it is a simple soup with minimal ingredients, but one that will make everyone in your family happy.
Find the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/butternut-squash-soup-recipe1.html.
Apple and sweet potato soup
To try something a little different, why not have sweet potato and apple soup? This is another delicious, creamy soup that will warm up and fill bellies on Halloween night. This soup is light enough to enjoy before trick-or-treating but is also a good option for after your Halloween festivities. It contains not just potato and apple, but a lot of seasonings and veggies, including onion, thyme, butter, celery, olive oil, vegetable stock, cinnamon, garlic, allspice, and cumin.
Find the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/quick-apple-and-sweet-potato-soup-recipe.html.
Our functional medicine Los Angeles team suggests trying these recipes now!
With these simple tips and recipes, you are ready for your healthiest Halloween yet. For more inquiries about our functional medicine Studio City, don’t hesitate to contact us.