#MIKidsCan Trick or Treat the Healthy Way This Saturday
Julie Bitely
| 2 min read
If you think Halloween is all about sugar overdoses and pumpkin-flavored everything, this Saturday is your chance to think again. The Flint Farmers’ Market, in partnership with Sprout Health Coalition, is presenting a Healthy Halloween Food Day.
Food Day is a nationally acclaimed event celebrated on October 24th each year. According to the event’s website, Food Day, “ inspires Americans to change their diets and our food policies.”
The Flint Farmers’ Market Food Day festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 25th, so as to better accommodate traditional schedules. A kid-friendly and healthy trick-or-treat walk will occur as a large part of the event from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
The trick or treat walk features 12 unique stations, embedded with vendors throughout the market, where a healthy item is given to the children at each station. Items are geared toward either healthy eating, active living or educational resources. Some of which include a reflective light for kids’ bicycles, jump ropes and insulated lunch bags.
The program will also start and end in the Flint Farmers’ Market community room. The room will be filled with representatives from local healthcare organizations, health departments, schools and partners of the Sprout Coalition. Recipes, health information and healthy children’s snacks will also be available in the room.
Other activities throughout the day will include:
- Food safety information
- Recipe and nutrition tip distribution
- Healthy Halloween cooking demonstrations
- Physical fitness activities
2014 will mark the market’s 4th annually sponsored Halloween Food Day. Each year, the event has attracted over 350 people and this year is expected to be the same. Everyone is welcome to join in costume, and the sponsoring partners are anticipated to dress up as well.
In addition to Halloween sweet treat alternatives, there are many ways to celebrate the holiday in a seasonal way with your kids. Just a few of which include:
- Cooking with seasonal produce
- Festive face painting
- Taking a fall road trip
- Making Halloween crafts together such as painting, decorating or carving pumpkins
- Having a Halloween dance party complete with spooky music
- Making a trip to the apple orchard or corn maze
For more information on Saturday’s event and tips on living and eating well, visit the Flint Farmers’ Market website or call 810-768-7970.
Photo credit: Philip Dean
This blog post is part of #MIKidsCan, an initiative created by Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan to promote positive change in the health and well-being of Michigan youth. To learn more about the campaign, visit https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/mikidscan
