No Tricks For This Tasty Treat

Mia Inoshita
By Mia Inoshita
Friday - October 03, 2007
| Del.icio.us

Give keiki healthy, tasty Boo Bars this Halloween
Give keiki healthy, tasty Boo Bars this Halloween

The year has flown by and we’re now into October. When I think of October, I think of Halloween. Halloween brings back memories of hourlong excursions of door-to-door knocking and the sing-song mantra “trick-or-treat.”

This, of course, led to the inevitable abundance of candy, much to the distress of my parents (and probably many other parents).

This Halloween, make or provide healthier treat options for your children, trick-or-treaters and/or guests. There’s no need to deprive and compromise the spirit of the holiday.


Try this revamped recipe of a classic homemade favorite. Traditional rice cereal is replaced with brown rice cereal, and butter is replaced with flaxseed oil to provide healthy omega-3 oils. Add some fruit and nuts and you’ve got a balanced treat, similar to an energy bar. With the addition of chocolate chips and peanut butter, your kids will never think it’s good for them.

BOO BARS

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
* 16 ounces mini marshmallows
* 2 tablespoons peanut butter
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
* 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate
* 10 ounces brown rice crisps cereal

Instructions:

In a large, nonstick pot or saucepan, add flaxseed oil and marshmallows. Turn heat on low and gently heat, constantly stirring until marshmallows have melted. Add peanut butter and mix until completely blended. Turn heat off and add cranberries, almonds and brown rice crisps cereal. Mix gently until combined. Fold in chocolate chips when mixture slightly cools. Pour and spread mixture into a 10-by-12-inch pan. Cool completely and slice into 1-by-3-inch bars.

Recipe makes 40 bars.

Here are a few tips on managing Halloween and the candy that can come with it.

Send children out trick-or-treating after they’ve had a hearty meal.

Have a healthful snack waiting when you return, then portion out a few candies to eat.

Manage the candy that is brought back by either portioning it out for future consumption or keeping it stashed out of sight.

Staying home and handing treats out? Try non-edible treats such as pencils, stickers, or even loose change (that always made me happy as a kid!).

Or if handing out edibles, choose something healthful that you wouldn’t mind having around once the night comes to an end.

Whatever you buy tends to be what you eat as well.

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