Halloween Treats: Are They All Bad?

The words ‘healthy’ and ‘Halloween’ aren’t often found in the same sentence. It’s typically a day where kids dress up, carve pumpkins and eat their body weight in sugar, so vitamins aren’t usually at the forefront of the celebrations. However, amongst the chocolate and sweets, traditional Halloween foods do in fact have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits and can provide a much-needed vitamin kick.

Pumpkins

It could be argued that pumpkins are the most nutritional decoration out there. Commonly used to make Jack-o’-lanterns and adorn windowsills, they’re a brilliant source of beta-carotene, which provides your body with vitamin A. This has several important functions, such as helping your immune system to work properly, keeping skin healthy and protecting your eyes against sight loss. Pumpkins also contain vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, vitamin B2, vitamin E and iron, so they’re packed full of goodness.

As well as being fibrous, pumpkins are considered to be a ‘nutrient-dense’ food, so they’re low in calories despite being packed with vitamins and minerals They contain around 80-90% of water, so they help to keep the body hydrated, and their high antioxidant content can help to reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

The good news is that pumpkins are really versatile and can be used in savoury dishes such as soups and pasta, along with puddings like custards and pancakes, thanks to their sweet flavour. Even their seeds can be easily incorporated into your diet and are great for a mineral boost due to containing high levels of iron, phosphorus and magnesium.

Apples

Traditionally played at Halloween parties, apple bobbing is a game that involves placing apples in a bowl of water and trying to catch one with your teeth while your hands are tied around your back. Admittedly, it’s not the most Covid-friendly of games, but luckily apples have a multitude of health benefits to provide your body with important nutrients. Nutrient-dense like pumpkins and apples are full of vitamin C, copper, potassium and vitamin K, as well as vitamin E, B1 and B6. They’re also crammed full of antioxidants, which protect your cells from harmful molecules that contribute to the development of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

Brilliant to eat on the go, apples are the ultimate fast food but come into their own when they’re baked into warming seasonal puddings such as apple pies or made into toffee apples. But however you use them, it’s best to keep apples unpeeled and leave the skin on as it contains most anti-oxidants and half of the fibre.

Cinnamon and Ginger

Although not strictly traditional Halloween foods, cinnamon and ginger are popular spices to add to seasonal autumn treats. Ginger is a wonder-ingredient thanks to its medicinal properties, ability to lower blood sugar and reduce pain associated with arthritis. Cinnamon is the sweeter of the two spices, anti-viral and full of antioxidants, so if you’re a sugar fan, it’s a healthy alternative.

Although both spices taste very different, they’re both known for increasing your blood flow and helping to keep you warm. Ginger tea will raise your body temperature within just ten minutes of being consumed. Cinnamon’s thermogenic properties make it perfect for sprinkling coffee to sip while you’re taking the kids trick or treating.

If you’d like information about food intolerance tests and how they can help you improve your diet this winter, please fill out the contact form on our website or send an email to [email protected].