Trick or Treat, Healthy Eats!

Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s almost hard to believe that the summer was only a couple of months ago. As days start getting shorter and shorter, and our routines fill up with school runs and activities, it can be hard to keep up healthy habits – especially with trick or treating and Halloween parties getting in the way. Try some of these delicious and healthy Halloween-inspired recipes with your Super Troopers for some spooky snacks they won’t be able to resist.

Pumpkin hummus

Homemade hummus can make a great dip for a healthy lunchbox snack, like celery or carrot sticks, or even for tortilla chips or vegetable crisps at parties. Pumpkin is just in season, and gives this recipe a spooky Halloween flair, alongside a delicious flavour.

Ingredients

• 400g can of chickpeas
• 1 small pumpkin
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons of tahini paste

Preparation

1. Preheat an oven to 200C/180 fan.
2. Drain the can of chickpeas. You can set aside the chickpea water to make some vegan meringues using the recipe below!
3. Carefully cut off the top of the pumpkin (a sharp knife is best for this) and scoop out the seeds with a tablespoon. You can save the seeds and roast them later for another great Halloween snack!
4. Carve out the flesh from inside the pumpkin and cut into small chunks.
5. Crush the garlic cloves with the blade of your knife and remove the skin.

Cooking

1.  Spread the pumpkin pieces in a roasting tin along with the garlic. Coat lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
2. Roast the pumpkin and garlic for about 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft all the way through.
3. Put the pumpkin, garlic, chickpeas, tahini paste and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. You can add a little bit more oil if it’s too thick.
4. Once blended, taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Enjoy! Try slicing your favourite vegetables and dipping in this delicious hummus, or spread a little bit on some wholemeal toast for a healthy snack.

Ants on a log

This traditional snack is a delicious way to incorporate celery, a great source of vitamin K, into your diet – although you might not like it if you’re afraid of creepy-crawlies!

Ingredients

• Celery sticks
• Natural peanut butter
• Raisins

Preparation

1. Spread a little bit of peanut butter on the inside of a ‘log’ (celery stick).
2. Sprinkle some ‘ants’ (raisins) onto the ‘log’.
3. Enjoy! You could also try swapping the peanut butter with your pumpkin hummus or another nut butter, and using almonds or dates instead of raisins.

Vegan meringues

These meringues are definitely more of a sweet treat than a healthy snack, but they make a great vegan alternative to the traditional egg-based recipe!

Ingredients

• Water from 400g can of chickpeas
• 100g golden caster sugar

Preparation 

1. Heat oven to 110C/90C fan, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the chickpea water until it reaches soft peaks. When you lift your whisk, it should hold its shape for a couple of seconds before melting back into itself. It’s best to use an electric whisk for this!
3. Add the caster sugar a little at a time, making sure to incorporate it fully before adding more. Keep whisking until the mixture is firm and glossy.
4. Plop spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the baking tray. For a Halloween twist, try making some spooky ghost shapes with the mixture
5. Bake for about 1hr 15mins, or until they’ve just turned crispy, and serve with some sliced seasonal fruit like pear, pineapple or mango.

Why not try making these recipes with your tots this Halloween? It’s super fun getting your Super Troopers involved in the kitchen, and it’s a great way to teach them about healthy eating and nutrition, as well as to encourage them to try new and healthier foods. Let us know how you get on by sending pictures of your spooky masterpieces to supertroopers@realnation.ie.

Make sure to check our website at www.supertroopers.ie for more tips on healthy eating, physical activity, wellbeing and much more throughout the year, as well as our Super Troopers playlist on Spotify!