It starts at Halloween and doesn’t stop until the New Year. Enjoying treats in moderation is perfectly acceptable. However, plates piled high with jack-o-lantern cookies, witch-hat cupcakes and endless amounts of fun-sized candies do more than satisfy your sweet tooth. All those sweets weigh heavily on your health – and waistline. If you want to make it out alive this holiday, you’re going to have to get a leg-up on temptation.
Here’s how:
Make your own sweets
You can absolutely join in on the fun! But curb your sugar cravings with sweet foods that treat your body instead of trick it. Consider homemade chocolate protein balls, which you can share with a crowd. Or, cut up a Chocolate Peanut Butter Vega Snack Bar into bite-sized pieces that you can grab and munch on as needed.
Eat before you trick-or-treat
Headed to a costume party? Have a healthy snack, such as a salad or veggie sticks and hummus before you head out. This will help prevent you from feeling ravenous before you’re confronted with a buffet of spooky sugar. Your stomach will only be able to handle a small treat, which will leave you more time to enjoy the great friends and creative get-ups.
Have snacks and carry on
Remember those healthier treats you made? Throw them in a bag and tote them wherever you go. This time of year, spontaneous social gatherings and impromptu weather delays will happen. With fulfilling snacks on hand, you’ll never have to miss out on Happy Hour or sit in traffic, raging with hanger. The Salted Caramel Vega Protein Bar packs easily in any bag and provides ample protein, carbs and calories to hold you over. Trail mix, rice cakes with nut butter and even individual packets of protein powder are also easy-to-carry choices that fight hunger attacks.
Take advantage of seasonal foods
Eating in season is a great way to get the most nutrient density out of your meals. Mother Nature offers all the natural treats your body needs. During the fall months, look for pomegranates, persimmons, sweet potatoes, apples, blackberries, dates and figs to sweeten your day.
Among all the tricks and tips this time of year, it’s most important to make yourself a priority with proper nourishment. Plus, sticking to your healthy routine not only helps you survive, it allows you to set an example for your loved ones while still getting your thrill of costume parties and festive foods.
What are your healthy Halloween snacks and goodies? Comment below!
Originally published on MyVega.com
About the author:
Paige Snyder is a plant-based nutritionist and Educator at Vega. She specializes in sport performance, stress management and achieving your optimal weight. Paige is currently completing her Masters in Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and loves to develop raw dessert recipes.