One year ago 
in our first week of blogging, we posted “Healthy Halloween,” a piece on alternative, healthier treat options. One Halloween, hundreds of – almost a thousand! – meals and tens of holidays later, my priorities have shifted. I am, of course, still focused on finding alternatives to high-sugar, high-fructose corn syrup-infused candy. But I am also thinking about how to cut down on individual plastic packaging while honoring safety and hygiene considerations. And let’s not forget about the sheer waste quotient of this holiday: candy that gets thrown out, wrappers that are not properly disposed of, and much more.
So, when the trick-or-treaters knock, consider offering these options for a healthy, more sustainable Halloween 2010:
Unusual thick-skinned fruits. Think lychee nuts, kumquats, clementines and kiwi. No individual wrapping or bags necessary: drop them straight into trick-or-treaters’ bags.
DIY mini dried fruit skewers. These are done on toothpicks rather than full-length skewers. Offer trays of dried apricots, mango, papaya, figs and cherries: invite the children in to Make Their Own.
Juice boxes. Choose organic juice, fruit-infused water or coconut water packaged in paper containers and you’ve given the trick-or-treaters something to wash down – er, flush out – all those sweet treats.
Fresh-popped organic popcorn and/or popcorn necklaces. Paige suggested popcorn last year: it is evergreen. And if your children are crafty, they can string the popcorn into edible necklaces or bracelets. How to: Use a large-eyed needle with untreated thread or fine twine to “sew” the string through the center of each popped kernel.
Fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. ‘Tis the season. Keyword here is “fresh”. Pour them into a (lined) freshly carved pumpkin outfitted with a scoop and call it a night.
Did I mention that my older daughter is planning to dress up as a refrigerator this year?
Happy Healthy Halloween!
-Nancy
