As a parent, I feel it’s important to be health-conscious without acting out of fear. This is particularly important during the holidays. If a well-meaning person hands my daughter a Snickers bar, I want her to graciously accept it and not cower in fear or scold the giver for being unhealthy. During the candy-ridden months of October and November, more than anything I want my children to learn that what they put in their bodies should be good. I don’t want to simply brainwash my children that candy is bad, but rather encourage them to choose the better options out there.

Nevertheless, whoever said “Ignorance is bliss” was onto something. Since I started learning more about nutrition, and particularly its importance during childhood, I do admit I get disturbed sometimes when I see the person in front of me with a shopping cart full of candy corn and Butterfingers. Or consider this fun Halloween fact: “An average Jack-O-Lantern bucket carries about 250 pieces of candy, amounting to about 9,000 calories and about three pounds of sugar.” That fact makes me want to ban Jack-O-Lantern buckets, and they don’t even cause cavities.

And so this year I’ve decided to just crash the candy party. I’m not going to hand it out this year. I always have, but it was really out of guilt and wanting to be like all the other parents. This year I’m going to be the health nut in the neighborhood and hand out something relatively healthy. My hope is that the dear children who come to our door will be thrilled with my eco-friendly delights, but I also accept that they may scoff at them (as I would have at their age). If you want to join in the revolution, check out this list of alternative trick-or-treat hand outs from Green Halloween. Some of them are a bit extreme (seashells and acorns??), but I found several ideas that certainly beat the alternative.

Of course, you can always opt out of trick or treating altogether. We’ve never taken our kids trick-or-treating, although the pressure is on now that they’re getting a bit older. Really my husband and I are just big kids ourselves and like to stay in and carve pumpkins around the bonfire. There are some great traditions associated with Halloween that don’t include artificial colorings and refined sugar. In fact, trick-or-treating and candy binging are relatively new Halloween customs. Some of the most ancient traditions incorporate the much less offensive members of the Cucurbitaceae family: pumpkins.

Our family welcomes pumpkins with open arms. Not only are they healthy, but they are also a perfect complement in sweet Halloween treats. Yes, I said ‘sweet’ and ‘treats’. Maybe someday I will be such a health nut that I don’t even eat pumpkin pie during Halloween, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. Nevertheless, you don’t have to use the refined stuff to get good results. In fact, thanks to some great healthy bloggers out there, this year we’ve been pleasantly surprised with several recipes that don’t even contain gluten. Here are some of our favorite pumpkin recipes, some sweet and some savory, that I’m making this year to celebrate the season with my family:

1. Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chunk Bread (via Lauren Brooks)

Pumpkin, banana, dark chocolate, and made with almond flour so it is gluten-free. I thought the amount of agave in this recipe was perfect. I used pureed fresh pumpkin instead of canned, since I had a huge batch already prepared. I won’t say how long this lasted in my house.

2. Pumpkin Cheesecake (via Wellness Mama)

Okay, so maybe it’s a stretch to call this healthy. Still, I’d rather my children look forward to eating this on Halloween night (which is when I plan to make it) than the Jack-O-Lantern full of candy.

3. Pumpkin Butter (via Paleo Parents)

Who knew pumpkin butter was so easy to make? All you need is roasted pumpkin, apple juice, and pumpkin pie spices. This pumpkin butter also makes a great gift. Spread it on pumpkin bread for a decadent Halloween treat.

4. Amazeballs (via Rubies & Radishes)

The title is accurate – these are amazing! My children love the fact that they are small and resemble those less healthy pumpkin poppers you can get at less healthy establishments. As a bonus, they’re easy to make and they’re also gluten-free!

5. Creamy Pumpkin Curry (via Everyday Paleo)

When we lived in Belgium, the main attraction during Halloween and fall was pumpkin soup. The vendors would sell cups of it on the street at the market, and although I was skeptical at first, it quickly became a fall favorite. I love this twist on the classic from Everyday Paleo, ideal for families who like soups and also have a taste for curry.

How are you celebrating Halloween this year? And if you know any other great recipes, please share!

The post Crashing the Candy Party: 5 Halloween Treats For Healthy Families appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

That’s what so great about a pumpkin carving party. It doesn’t need alcohol to be fun (although, I’m sure a few would argue that it would help) and it takes some time and effort to carve up one of those suckers. Plus, it’s kinda fun to sift through the gooey seeds so you can bake them up for later. Have you had hot pumpkin seeds fresh from the oven? They’re awesome.

Plus here are some of the health benefits of pumpkin seeds:

• They’re rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) which helps lower bad LDL cholesterol and increase good cholesterol (HDL).
• They’re high in calories but also a good source of protein. Approximately 100g of pumpkin seeds provides 556 calories but 30g of high quality protein.
• They can help you sleep AND de-stress. Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin which helps aid sleep. They also contain glutamate which is needed by the brain to synthesize GABA, an anti-stress neurochemical.
• Pumpkin seeds are a great source of Vitamin E, a host of B-complex vitamins, and folates (also helping lower cholesterol and aid GABA activity in the brain).
• Pumpkin seeds also contain copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. These seeds are so rich in manganese that 100g contain 198% of daily recommended intake. (My experience has also taught me eating foods with manganese lessen my chocolate cravings so this is a great find for me.)

Have I sold you on the benefits of pumpkin seeds? Cool.

How can you make them, you ask? Easy.

Prepping the pumpkin seeds:

1. Separate the seeds from the stringy pumpkin insides.
2. Put seeds in a bowl or colander and rinse under a faucet to remove any remaining pumpkin.
3. Lay seeds out on paper towels to dry.

Baking the pumpkin seeds:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with 2tsp of melted butter per 1 ½ cups of raw pumpkin seeds and add a pinch salt. Stir it up and spread on a baking sheet.
3. OR spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with butter-flavored cooking spray and then add salt. (You can also spice it up with other seasonings like garlic, cayenne, or cinnamon.)
4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir every 10 minutes during baking.

Happy Halloween! Do you have any favorite recipes or uses for pumpkin seeds? Share in the comments below. 

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Pumpkin Party: The Surprising Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds appeared first on Breaking Muscle.