Flavors and Textures and Smells – Oh My!

Just as with new adventures and experiences, trying new foods should be approached with heightened attention to your senses. Halloween is the perfect time to explore new textures and flavors, especially if you have little ones at home. This candy-focused holiday doesn’t just need to be about indulging your sweet tooth. Remember to appreciate all of the beautiful colors and flavors that Fall has to offer, and turn some everyday favorite foods into festive spooky munchies with just a little creative brain power. Mozzarella and black olive eyeballs in your pasta, anyone?!
 
The Sound Dietitians team shared some of our tricks and treats with families this past Saturday at Verdant Community Wellness Center. We had fun concocting a bubbling potion to show off some wonders of food science and engaged in a mindful eating exercise to fully showcase the goodness of “nature’s candy.”  Little werewolf paws helped in creating the recipes below and monstrous appetites were appeased! 

We hope you enjoy a safe and healthful Halloween!
 
Holly, RDN

Green Eel Zoodle Noodle Salad
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​Make this festive salad for your next Halloween party or themed dinner. It is truly a rainbow of the classic spooky colors – orange, green and purple. With the help of a spiralizer, enjoy long strands of zucchini noodles (zoodles) – a great gluten-free alternative to pasta! Top it all off with pumpkin carrot coins for a little extra fall flair.
Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini 1
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• ¼ small red cabbage (160 g), thinly sliced
• ½ cup frozen edamame, shelled, thawed
• 3 Tablespoons sesame vinaigrette dressing

Salad Assembly:
1. Slice the stem end off of the zucchini for a flat surface. 
2. Firmly press cut end of zucchini against the spiked plate of the spiralizer. Position the other end of the zucchini on the center of the metal ring. Spiralize away onto a cutting board or into a shallow dish.
3. Peel carrot and cut two notches toward the top to form the pumpkin shape. Slice into coins.
4. Toss zoodles and carrots with shredded cabbage, edamame, and dressing. 

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​Yield: about 2.5 cups

Nutrition: (per 1 cup serving)
- Calories: 115
- Protein: 6 grams
- Total fat: 4.5 grams
- Total carbohydrate: 15 grams (Dietary fiber: 5 grams)
- Sodium: 145 mg

​Spider Egg Chia Pudding
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​Enjoy this ooey-gooey fiber packed treat! Chia seed is a delight both to eat and experiment with. The seeds can rapidly absorb liquids in as little as 10 minutes and GROW about 10 times their size in the process! This allows us to enjoy chia as a slippery, pudding- like treat, or as a replacement for eggs in egg-free baking. Don’t forget to try your own experiments with chia pudding at home with other chopped fruit or flavorings like almond extract, cinnamon, or cocoa powder. (Disclaimer: no spiders were harmed in the development of this recipe.)

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​ Ingredients:

• ¼ cup skim milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Agave nectar
• 1 ½ Tablespoons chia seeds
• ¼ cup blackberries, chopped

​Directions:

1. Mix together the milk, vanilla, and agave nectar in a cup or small bowl.
2. Add the chia seeds and stir to combine.
3. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir again to break up any clumps.
4. Chill mixture in the refrigerator for an additional hour or until all liquid is absorbed.  Mixture can also be covered and chilled overnight.
5. While mixture is chilling, prepare your “spiders” – chopped blackberries.
6. Mix together and enjoy!​

​Nutrition: (Nutrition may vary with choice of milk and sweetener)

• Calories: 150
• Protein: 5.5 grams

• Total fat: 5 grams (4.3 g polyunsaturated, 0.3 g monounsaturated)
• Total carbohydrate: 19 grams (Dietary fiber: 8.5 grams)
•  Sodium: 30 mg

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Spooky Mummy Personal Pizzas

Make this easy snack before your Halloween festivities. The last thing you want while Trick-orTreating is a grumbling hungry tummy. Fill your mummy with an assortment of your favorite veggies and wrap them all in place with bands of string cheese. Don’t forget just a hint of garlic to keep away those pesky vampires!

​Ingredients:
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•  ½ Whole Wheat English Muffin
• 2 teaspoons pizza sauce
• 4 spinach leaves, ripped (6 g)
• 1 ½ inch wide strip bell pepper, thinly sliced (23 g)
• Crushed garlic, to taste
• ½ string cheese, cut lengthwise (14 g)
• Sliced black olive, 2 rings (1 g)

Mummy Assembly:
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1. Pre-heat oven or toaster oven to 400° F
2. Prepare baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper
3. Spread pizza sauce evenly on English muffin half
4. Layer on ripped spinach and sliced peppers
5. Sprinkle with a pinch of crushed garlic
6. Tear string cheese lengthwise for your mummy bandages. Overlap to cover your pizza
7. Top with two black olive eyeballs
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown slightly

​Nutrition: (for ½ English Muffin. Nutrition may vary with product choices)

Calories: 120
Protein: 7 grams
Total fat: 4 grams
Total carbohydrate: 16 grams
Dietary fiber: 2.5 grams
Sodium: 240 mg