Tricks and Treats to Keep Halloween Healthy

Halloween is coming...soon! One of the scariest things about the holiday is how many empty calories a person can consume in the days before and after because of all the darn candy. So... what is a person to do when candy is EVERYWHERE? Well, just don’t eat it (or buy it)! Easier said than done; so here are a few tricks and tips to keep those treats out of your tummy and your heath goals on track!

·   Buy candy to hand out to trick or treaters that you don’t like. Don’t be your own undoing. Pretty simple, eh?

·   At the office, make sure you have cut up fruit, veggies and nuts on hand so that you have something to munch on other than handfuls of candy corn and “fun sized” chocolate.

·   If your kids bring home candy that you can’t resist, do something like the “Halloween Fairy” and have them pick out their favorite 10 pieces and put the rest on the front doorstep for the “Halloween Fairy” to trade for a non-edible present on Halloween night. (Healthy kid tip too!)

·   Extra Halloween candy? Throw it away! OR better yet, donate it or find a buy-back program near you!  Click here for where you can drop your candy in the Kansas City area.

·   If you just have to have a piece of candy, keep it at just that: one piece. Or check out what 100 calories of your favorite candy looks like here.

If you’re interested in the best and worst candy picks, choose Three Musketeers for chocolate (avoid Butter Finger and peanut butter cups), Dum Dum Pops for fruity candy (avoid Air Heads) and tootsie rolls for a chewy fix (stay clear of Twix).  

Happy and Healthy Halloween!

Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

It's getting chili out there and that means that it's SOUP TIME! Yay! I love a good, filling, hearty soup and this one is exactly that. Loaded with protein and warmth, it's my new weeknight soup (and then for lunch days after as it reheats beautifully.

 

E. H. Fitness Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

What you need:

• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 heaping TBSP minced garlic (about 3 cloves-worth)
• 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup (the smaller can) of diced green chilis
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup frozen or canned corn
• 1 can white beans (great northern or cannellini beans)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt (or more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• a shake or 2 of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp lime juice (a squeeze of a lime)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond, coconut, cashew, etc. milk OR if you want to make it creamy without more liquid, blending another cup of white beans in a blender until smooth with a bit of the broth works perfectly)

What you do:

1. Put chicken breasts in the crockpot and top with all the other ingredients (minus milk or pureed beans)
2. Give it a good stir
3. Set on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours
4. About 30 minutes before serving, grab the chicken and shred it (this should take less than a minute since it should just fall apart)
5. Add the milk or pureed beans
6. Serve and enjoy!

Cheers.