Give children 'healthy Halloween'

Halloween could be used to encourage children to try new foods, experts say

Parents should shun chocolate bars and sweets this Halloween and instead give their children spooky-themed healthy food, a charity says.

The World Cancer Research Fund has come up with a series of Halloween recipes to give families ideas.

These include toast shaped like ghosts, eyeball eggs and carrots made to look like Frankenstein's fingers.

The charity said steps such as these would encourage children to try new types of foods.

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN SNACKS Beetle juice - Squashed blackberries and graped juice mixed together Celery claws - Celery sticks frayed at end and beetroot and yoghurt dip Eyeball eggs - chopped boiled eggs, avocado homous, black olives and tomato sauce Frankenstein's fingers and monster mash - Carrots with sliced almond stuck in slit at end to dip in low-fat cream cheese Ghost toast - Toasted bread shaped in spooky theme

Marni Craze, the World Cancer Research Fund's children's education manager, said: "Many party foods on sale at this time of year can be high in sugar and fat but it is possible to have healthier alternatives without losing any of the fun.

"Making healthy Halloween-themed snacks is also a great way to encourage children to eat healthier foods they may otherwise be reluctant to try.

"For example, a child might not choose to eat raw carrots but might be keener when they are presented as Frankenstein's fingers."

The charity has compiled a list of fun recipes on its children's website www.greatgrubclub.com

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