A Healthy & Yummy Halloween Treat

“Halloween” or “All Hallow’s Eve” dates back 2,000 years to the most significant Celtic holiday: the night before the new year (November 1 on their calendar), when the dead returned to mingle with the living. Scary faces were sculpted into turnips and gourds and lit with burning embers to ward off evil spirits. Today’s jack-o-lanterns are but one vestige of that pagan celebration. However, pumpkins have other uses besides keeping evil spirits away and frightening trick-or-treaters.

This Halloween, do the neighborhood ghosts and goblins—and yourself—a favor. Try my favorite Halloween recipe instead of munching on all that unhealthy candy.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Banana Bread

Ingredients
•    1 mashed, ripe banana
•    1 cup pumpkin puree
•    1/4 cup coconut oil
•    1 large egg
•    2 egg whites
•    2 cups whole wheat flour
•    1 tsp baking powder
•    1/2 tsp baking soda
•    1/2 tsp salt
•    2/3 cup sugar
•    1/2 tsp nutmeg
•    1/2 tsp ginger
•    1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place mashed banana, pumpkin puree, oil, egg and egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electronic mixer on low speed.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana and pumpkin mixture and beat until just moist.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean. It serves twelve.

An occasional sugar splurge isn’t going to hurt you, but overindulgence can contribute to a host of health problems. So this Halloween try replacing those unhealthy treats with tasty ones like this.