Try these simple tips to make Halloween a little healthier and safer for your family, guests, and trick-or-treaters.

• Pre-Game Dinner
Serve a hearty, balanced meal before trick-or-treating. A satisfying meal can help curb hunger and prevent children from overindulging on sweets.

• Pacing and Portion Control
Instead of leaving a bowl of candy out, offer pre-portioned fun-size treats. Let kids pick a few favorites after trick-or-treating and save the rest for later.

• Safety Inspections
Encourage children to wait until they get home before eating their treats. Check all commercially wrapped candies for signs of tampering and potential choking hazards before serving.

• Try These Spooky & Creative Healthy Snack Swaps

□ Tangerine Pumpkins: Peel mandarins and place a small celery stick in the center to look like a pumpkin stem.

□ Banana Ghosts: Cut bananas in half and use a few mini dark chocolate chips or raisins to create spooky eyes and a mouth.

□ Apple Monster Mouths: Spread peanut butter or sunflower butter between two apple slices and line up sunflower seeds or yogurt-covered nuts to look like teeth.

□ Ghostly Cheese Sticks: Use a marker to draw ghost faces directly onto the plastic wrapping of individual string cheese snacks.