Halloween is the one day of the year that should be full of sweet treats! According to the National Association of Counties, the average person eats about 24 pounds of candy throughout the year - a lot of it at Halloween! Preparing a few delicious Halloween goodies in your own kitchen provides a healthier way to celebrate Halloween with your kids.

Incorporating seasonal fruits or vegetables into scary-good baked treats is a great way to increase their nutrition. To boost your intake of beta-carotene, prepare cupcakes using puree from pumpkins, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash. Frosting them with a lower fat or nonfat cream cheese frosting will provide calcium with fewer calories.

Add chopped apples, an excellent source or phytonutrients, to your favorite spice cake recipe, frost them with a scrumptious penuche frosting, and top them with salted nuts or simply dust unfrosted cupcakes with powdered sugar.

If you crave chocolate at Halloween, prepare chocolate covered pretzel sticks. You can control the amount of chocolate per pretzel stick – from a light drizzle to a full coating. Dried fruits, such as apricots, dipped in dark chocolate are another nutritious alternative to traditional Halloween chocolate candy.

Prepare your favorite popcorn ball recipe and then arrange dried fruits like raisins, craisins or dried blueberries and pumpkin or sunflower seeds on it to make a super-creepy, giant eyeball.

Halloween-shaped snacks like spooky witches fingers or Halloween chocolate mice are another creepy addition to your Halloween menu.

Making a few of deliciously spooky Halloween goodies for your Halloween party or to hand out to little goblins and ghouls allows you to incorporate high-quality, nutritious ingredients and satisfy your sweet tooth.