Healthy Halloween Snacks and Fun Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating from a Pediatrician Mom
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Time to Read: 8 min
As both a pediatrician and a mom, I know how exciting (and overwhelming) Halloween can be. Between the endless candy and sugar rushes, it’s tough to keep things healthy while still letting the kids enjoy the holiday. So, every year, I try to find ways to make Halloween just as fun without relying on loads of candy. And guess what? It’s possible!
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite healthy Halloween snacks —a twist on the classic Rice Krispie Treats —and a super fun Halloween scavenger hunt idea to spice up your family’s celebration. To make things even better, I love serving up treats and prizes in Ahimsa’s stainless steel plates and bowls. These are my go-to mom hacks for keeping Halloween festive, memorable, and a little bit healthier!
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Healthier Halloween Rice Krispie Treats: A Spooky and Nutritious Twist
5-10 minutes
30 Minutes
10
Snack
I’m all about balance. Sure, my kids love a good treat, but that doesn’t mean it has to be packed with sugar. That’s why I love this healthier take on Rice Krispie Treats . It’s easy to make, fun to decorate, and doesn’t leave me worrying about a sugar crash later. Plus, it’s perfect for Halloween with a few spooky add-ons!
Ingredients:
3 cups of brown rice cereal (look for whole grain, unsweetened options)
½ cup almond butter or peanut butter (sunflower butter if you need a nut-free option)
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dark chocolate chips (optional, for decorating)
Candy eyes (optional for Halloween fun)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, I combine the almond butter, honey, vanilla extract, and coconut oil, stirring over low heat until it’s all smooth and delicious.
- Once it’s ready, I remove it from the heat and stir in the brown rice cereal until everything is well-coated.
- I press the mixture into a greased baking dish, making sure it’s nice and even. Then, it goes into the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.
- After it’s firm, I use Halloween-themed cookie cutters (ghosts, bats, pumpkins—whatever the kids want!) to cut fun shapes.
- For an extra spooky touch, I melt some dark chocolate chips and drizzle them over the treats, adding candy eyes to turn them into “monsters” or spooky little ghosts.
Why I love this: This recipe provides families with a healthy Rice Krispie treat by skippings the marshmallows and butter, and swappings them for natural sweeteners and healthy fats. It’s loaded with whole grains and just enough sweetness to keep the kids happy while still being a treat you can feel good about giving them.
Serving Tip: Try serving these healthy Rice Krispie treats on our Ahimsa Purposeful Plate —a colorful, fun, stainless steel plate perfect for keeping your kids' spooky snacks safe and healthy, all while being mindful of the environment!
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Mom Hack: Halloween Scavenger Hunt Instead of Trick-or-Treating
A few years ago, I was feeling burnt out by the massive candy haul my kids would bring home from trick-or-treating. I wanted to do something different but still fun—and that’s how the Halloween scavenger hunt was born!
How We Do It:
Get the Neighbors Involved: I team up with a few other families who are also looking to cut down on the candy chaos. We pick out a few houses to be “stops” for our scavenger hunt.
Write Fun Clues: I come up with simple, age-appropriate clues that lead the kids from house to house. Each stop has a fun surprise waiting—healthy snacks (like our Halloween Rice Krispie treats), small toys, or glow sticks.
Create a Map or Route: I put together a little map so the kids know where to go. We usually keep it to about five stops to avoid overwhelming them (and us!).
End with a Big Prize: The final stop usually has a spooky prize—a Halloween goodie bag with healthy snacks, some fun activities, or little toys. The kids love it, and it’s a great way to wrap up the night without the sugar overload.
Why it’s a win: This scavenger hunt gets the kids outside and moving, keeps them engaged with fun clues, and limits the amount of candy they’re getting—without taking away from the excitement of Halloween. Plus, it gives me peace of mind knowing that they’re not overdoing it on sugar, but they’re still having a blast.
And to make the experience even more memorable? Use Ahimsa Smart Snacking Bowls at each stop. These stainless steel bowls are perfect for holding small surprises, snacks, or toys—and they add a colorful, eco-friendly touch to your Halloween festivities.
More Healthy Halloween Snack Ideas
If you’re like me and always looking for fun ways to sneak in some healthier options, here are a few other easy-to-make, kid-approved Halloween snacks:
Monster Apple Bites: Slice apples and spread them with almond butter. Add sunflower seeds for “teeth” and stick on candy eyes to make a spooky monster face.
Pumpkin Oranges: Peel mandarins and pop a little piece of celery in the middle to make them look like mini pumpkins. It’s almost too cute to eat!
Banana Ghosts: Cut bananas in half, add chocolate chips for eyes, and stick them on popsicle sticks for a quick ghost snack.
Veggie Skeletons: Arrange different veggies like cucumber, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes to form a skeleton. Serve with hummus or guacamole for dipping!
Final Thoughts from a Pediatrician Mom
As a mom, I know it’s tempting to just give in to the piles of candy, but I also know firsthand how too much sugar can affect our kids—mood swings, crashes, and that inevitable post-Halloween slump. That’s why I’m always looking for ways to keep things healthy, but still fun.
Healthy Halloween snacks like our Rice Krispie treats, and alternatives like a Halloween scavenger hunt, allow you to keep the magic of Halloween alive without the sugar overload. And serving these treats in Ahimsa bowls, purposeful plates, or containers makes the experience even more special—combining fun with sustainability. It’s about finding the balance between fun and wellness—something all of us moms strive for!
Give these ideas a try this Halloween and let me know how they work for your family. Here’s to a spooky, fun, and healthier Halloween!
Happy Halloween from one mom to another! 🎃
Explore our collection of Ahimsa Stainless Steel Dinnerware, and subscribe to my newsletter for more healthy recipes and family-friendly tips!
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
Snacktime Essentials
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use stainless steel instead of plastic? Is stainless steel better for health?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report in July 2018 suggesting ways that families can limit exposure to certain chemicals at mealtime, including “the use of alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.” The report explained that “…some additives are put directly in foods, while “indirect” additives may include chemicals from plastic, glues, dyes, paper, cardboard”. Further, “Children are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do, and are still growing and developing.” While stainless steel items meet the recommendation to avoid plastic products in children, Ahimsa® products have the obvious advantage of not breaking like glass.
Is stainless steel better for the environment than plastic?
According to the Steel Recycling Institute, steel can be recycled over and over and over again without losing its integrity and requires less energy to recycle than to make anew. Most plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills and it is estimated to take 700 years to decompose. Our special coloring process that allows Ahimsa® products to be fully metal is environmentally friendly, so it does not produce toxic run-off into the ecosystem.
Will Ahimsa products break or peel?
No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with everyday use, like glass. And it won’t peel, like other colored stainless steel products you’ve seen. We use a special process that allows the colors to naturally occur in the metal.
Which Ahimsa products are best for my little one(s)?
Our products are meant to last, you can use Ahimsa at ages 1, 8 and 18! We thoughtfully design our products to be safe for little ones and our planet while reducing consumption. Once your child outgrows the Starting Solids Set and can use regular cups and utensils, the training cup is the perfect size rinse cup in the bathroom, the infant spoon doubles as a tea stirrer and the bowl is great for snacks or as an additional compartment to our modular divided plate. Our plates are great for any age as they encourage choosing a variety of healthy foods at each meal and help visualize portion sizes easily. It’s the lasting beauty of stainless steel - grows with your child and reduces waste.
