It was still summer when giant bags of Halloween candy started appearing on store shelves. Then, the bakeries and cafes upped the ante, pushing the fluourescent-orange-frosted cupcakes and cookies. You're conflicted: the adult in you hates Halloween hype, but the 10-year-old still salivates at the sight of all that sweet stuff. The good news is that you and your kids can enjoy plenty of Halloween goodies without going into sugar shock. Here are some ideas for Halloween treats with a healthy twist.

1. Veggie madness: Even kids suffering from scurvy will want to help create a Haunted Forest Platter: its got broccoli "trees", hard-boiled egg "ghosts" and plenty of other creepy creatures made from vegetables.
2. Easy, queasy appetizer: For an eyeball-ish appy, follow Kathy's recipe for Deviled Eggs. They can be topped with either green or black slided olive "irises".
3. Dilute your candy: Admit it. You love candy corn. But rather than tossing it back like popcorn, mix a small amount of it or another favorite candy into trail mix. At least there's some nutritional value in the nuts and raisins!
4. If you can't smash them, eat them: Pumpkins are a huge part of Halloween and a great way to enjoy the taste is to get a can of pumpkin pie filling and mix a few spoonfuls of it with plain or vanilla yogurt, or frozen vanilla yogurt. You can also buy pumpkin puree and use it to make pumpkin muffins, or Kathy's Pumpkin Soup Without the Fuss.
5. SOS (Save Our Seeds): If you plan to carve a pumpkin, hang on to the seeds and roast them for a savory snack.
6. Make Jell-O even spookier: If you whip up a package of orange Jell-O following the package directions and set some plastic spiders or other creepy crawlies on top, you've got a simple, non-fat Halloween dessert.
7. Calling all cookie monsters: Instead of going for store-bought, try the Skinny Chef's pumpkin-shaped peanut butter cookies.
8. Hot spider! Ooops, that's cider: Hot apple cider, which consists of apple juice, a few spices and orange peel, takes just a few minutes to make. It's got all the seasonal flavours, but none of the fat!
9. Spiced up popcorn: Rather than making the traditional popcorn balls, make a buttery-style microwave popcorn and pour it into a bowl. Season it with cinnamon sugar, which is available in the spice section of the grocery store, or can be made by mixing 1/4 cup sugar with 4 teaspoons of cinnamon.

There you have it: celebrating Halloween doesn't have to mean blowing your diet or rotting your teeth.

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