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With the coming of October comes some cooler weather, and what the month is most known for, Halloween. The unofficial kickoff of the holiday season! Since many of us will be enjoying some trick-or-treating, here are some tips to make it both a fun and balanced Halloween for you and your family. 

How to enjoy a balanced Halloween: 

• Eat dinner before going trick-or-treating: This will ensure your little one is full from a balanced meal and less likely to overeat sweet treats.
• Encourage your child to choose the fun-size or snack-size version of their favorite treat so they get a sweet fix without overdoing the calories, fat, and sugar. 
• Encourage your child to just take one or two pieces of candy at each stop instead of grabbing a handful
• If you are able, try walking around your neighborhood to get some extra steps in instead of driving to your next location. Don't forget your walking shoes!
• Pack a healthy snack to take along with you in case your child gets hungry. This will prevent them from trying to satisfy their hunger with candy. Try something like some trail mix or pretzels.
• When you come home use the extra candy to teach your children how to pair their candy with a healthy snack. Try something like a piece of candy with a glass of milk, yogurt, or a cheese stick. 
• Enjoy! At the end of the day, Halloween comes around once a year. Don't stress too much and have fun with your family!

Let's Get Movin'!

Speaking of walking to go trick-or-treating, walking daily is a great form of low intensity exercise. Try these tips to get more steps in throughout the day:



• When parking in a parking lot, try parking in a back spot to increase the number of steps you take walking to and from your car.
• Go for a stroll with a friend around your neighborhood after dinner if safety allows.
• Choose the stairs whenever possible over an elevator or escalator.
• Go for a walk when waiting to pick up your child from school, practice, etc...
• Walk to the bathroom furthest away instead of the one closest to you.
• Pace around the room when doing tasks such as waiting for your food to cook, brushing your teeth, watching TV, etc..

Harvest of the Month: Persimmons

Persimmons are a delightfully sweet fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in the making of sweet treats such as puddings, cakes, and cookies.

Storage tips: 

• Store persimmons at room temperature until ripe.
• Ripe persimmons are best to be eaten immediately but will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.
• Unripe persimmons can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
• Not going to consume them in a month? Persimmons can also be frozen for long-term storage.

Consumption tips:

• Ripe persimmons should have a texture similar to jelly. When given a gentle squeeze they should be less firm than a peach. 
• Persimmons can be eaten fresh similar to an apple or used to sweeten sweet treats

Recipe Highlight: Persimmon Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups (225g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or 3 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅓ cup (75g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
• 1 cup (250g) persimmon purée from a can or 3 ripe Hachiya persimmons, flesh pureed
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (125g) butter 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and both sugars together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk the persimmon purée and eggs together in a jug, then add to the dry ingredients with the melted butter. Note: To make your own persimmon puree, use very ripe hachiya persimmons, scoop the flesh into a blender and whiz for a minute or so until smooth.
4. Beat for a minute or so to combine.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tray ¾ full and bake for 15 mins until golden and risen and a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Place the muffins onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. The persimmon muffins will keep for 4 days in an airtight container.

Source: https://veggiedesserts.com/persimmon-muffins/

Kids Corner

SNAP provides monetary assistance to supplement the food budget of households that meet the financial and resource requirements.

Foods available under SNAP:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Dairy products
• Breads and cereals
• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
• Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat

For questions or assistance, call (336) 422-7758 or email fnsoutreach@secondharvestnwnc.org