(ARA) - When the
ghosts and goblins, superheroes and villains come knocking on
your door this Halloween, do them a favor. Instead of dropping
a candy bar or two into their trick-or-treat bag, fill it up with
healthy alternatives. With childhood obesity on the rise in the
United States, a bag full of candy bars -- with their empty calories
-- is the last thing the neighborhood kids need.
“Nutrition and Halloween aren’t two
words that are normally seen together, but it is possible to promote
healthy eating habits during the Halloween season,” says
Lisa Katic, the nutrition advisor for the Snack Food Association.
She recommends parents make sure their kids have a nutritious
meal before heading out the door to go trick-or-treating so they
won’t be tempted to fill up on candy; and instead of handing
out candy bars, that you set a good example for the neighborhood
by giving away nutritious snacks.
Among the Halloween alternatives gaining in popularity
these days, granola bars, cheese and cracker packs, sugar free
gum, and packets of instant hot chocolate, carrots and pretzels.
“You really can’t go wrong setting a precedent in
the neighborhood as the home that hands out the treats that are
good for you,” says Katic.
Among the healthy treats you’ll find on the
market this Halloween, specially decorated bags of Snyder’s
of Hanover mini pretzels. Each orange bag, featuring a picture
of an intricately carved jack-o’-lantern, contains 36 half-ounce
bags of mini pretzels. Each serving contains just 50 calories
and has no fat or sugar.
“As far as calories are concerned, they compare
favorably to other typical Halloween treats,” says Bob Gould
of Snyder’s of Hanover. The average candy bar contains about
95 calories, 5 g of fat and 10 g of sugar.
Here are some other alternatives to Halloween Candy:
* Sports or trading cards. If you have a little
more money in your Halloween treat budget, you might consider
buying some sports cards or another popular trading card for children.
Those with large budgets can probably afford to leave an entire
pack in every child's bag, but you could also give out individual
cards.
* School supplies or stickers. Kids are always misplacing
their pencils, erasers and crayons, so these are holiday treats
they will really appreciate. Stickers are also popular among youngsters
in school. They can use them to dress up their notebooks or lockers.
You can find special Halloween packaged bags of
Snyder’s of Hanover minis at stores across the country from
now through Halloween. For more information about the health benefits
of pretzels, log on to www.snydersofhanover.com.
-Courtesy of ARA
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