Posts

Trick, Treat, Nourish: Halloween Brain Health Tips

👻 This Halloween, let’s talk about something really spooky – sugar! 😱

Halloween kicks off what I think of as “sugar season”. From October through the New Year, sweet treats are everywhere. But here’s the spooky truth: too much sugar can trick your brain just as much as your taste buds.

🧠 Did you know?
Excess sugar can lead to mood swings, energy crashes, and even interfere with memory and focus. Over time, it contributes to inflammation and insulin resistance in the brain — which is why Alzheimer’s is called Type 3 diabetes.

The good news? You don’t have to skip the fun to keep your family’s brains and bodies happy. With a few smart swaps and nutrient-rich foods, you can celebrate and nourish at the same time.

🧠 Nourish Your Brain This Halloween

Instead of trying to “avoid sugar,” focus on balancing it with foods that help steady blood sugar, support mood, and boost brain power.

✅ Protein — A building block for neurotransmitters that support attention, focus, and learning. Add protein-rich foods to Halloween meals or snacks to balance out the sweets.

✅ Healthy Fats from Nature — Think avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds. These omega-3-rich fats help strengthen brain cell membranes, reduce inflammation, and enhance memory and mood.

✅ Fiber — A strong gut means a strong mind! Fiber supports a healthy gut microbiome — directly linked to emotional balance and cognitive health.

✅ Micronutrients — Minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron, and phytochemicals (colorful plant compounds_ protect brain cells from oxidative stress and keep your mind sharp.

FrankenGuac

Avocados are rich in antioxidants (vitamin E, lutein) and monounsaturated fats that improve blood flow to the brain and can help reduce inflammation.
Mix in onions (for quercetin — an anti-inflammatory flavonoid) and tomatoes (for lycopene — a brain-protective antioxidant).

Witch Guacamole

👉 Power tip: Add edamame for a protein and omega-3 boost. Edamame is rich in folate, vitamin K, and magnesium — all essential for mood and cognitive function.

Power boost your guacamoles by adding edamame – a tasty way to support cognitive function!

Love this recipe from Minimalist Baker

Seven-Layer Spider Dip

This 7-layer dip is a fun and brain-healthy snack!

  • Beans: Plant-protein + fiber + antioxidants for steady energy

  • Avocado: Brain-protective healthy fats

  • Greek yogurt: Probiotics for gut-brain health

  • Tomatoes & onions: Antioxidants for cognitive support

  • Spices:  Neuroprotective anti-inflammatory + antioxidant compounds

Here’s a recipe from The Bakers Mama (I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream)

Black Bean Spider Dip

Black beans are high in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which can help protect brain cells from oxidative stress and inflammation – a tasty way to support brain health! They’re also a good source of

  • Fiber: Helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which can enhance focus and concentration.
  • Protein: Essential for neurotransmitter production, which supports communication between brain cells.
  • B Vitamins: Play a crucial role in brain function, including mood regulation and cognitive performance.
  • Minerals: Magnesium and iron, important for overall brain health, supporting energy production and cognitive function.

Here’s a recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron

Pumpkin Hummus

This seasonal favorite is a nourishing alternative to candy overload.

  • Antioxidants: Beta-carotene in pumpkin protects brain cells

  • Healthy fats: From tahini for mood and memory

  • Protein + Fiber: From chickpeas to support neurotransmitter function and balanced blood sugar

  • B Vitamins + Minerals: Folate, magnesium, and zinc help support focus, learning, and emotional well-being

Try my Color My Food Pumpkin Hummus — perfect for parties, lunchboxes, or post-trick-or-treat snacking

👻 Make Halloween About More Than Candy

Start a new family tradition:

  • Enjoy a protein-rich meal before trick-or-treating

  • Balance candy with colorful, whole-food snacks

  • Get creative with “spooky” brain-healthy dips and veggies

  • Practice mindfulness around treats — enjoy, don’t overdo

This season, treat your brain as kindly as your taste buds. By choosing nutrient-dense foods that support mood, focus, and long-term brain health, you’re nourishing your whole family — body, brain, and spirit.

Click here >> Color My Food Power << to sign up for actionable tips and delicious, nutritions recipes directly in your email that will help you navigate the health hazards of the holiday season.

Here’s to a fun, festive, and fulfilling Halloween! 🎃👻

#BrainHealth #Brainhealthlifestyle #NutrientDense #FunctionalNutrition #NutritionTherapy

#MinimalistBaker #SweetPeasandSaffron #TheBakersMama

Halloween Witches Dinner

The “witches” twice-baked potatoes give this fall dinner a Halloween twist. Served with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, a delicious colorful medley of roasted vegetables and a spinach, pear and pumpkin seed salad, it’s one of my favorite fall menus. The kids make their own chocolate “spider” or “bat” cookies for dessert.

Read more

Halloween Pizza Party

Homemade pizza dough is simple and fun to make, the kids love to roll and mush the dough. For sanity’s sake, the dough can be made and rolled out ahead of time.
Here’s some Halloween fun with a “ghost” cheese pizza and a “pumpkin” pepperoni pizza. Round out the fun with Pumpkin Hummus and veggies sticks to start, and whole-wheat sugar “pumpkins” planted in Oreo “dirt”.

Read more

Pumpkin Hummus

Tis the season! 🍁 Put fall in your hummus by adding pumpkin and spices — making it more delicious and nutritious.

Fiber-rich and loaded with vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene pumpkins are nutrient dense food with multiple health benefits. The high fiber content can promote brain health by supporting a healthy gut.

“Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to humans. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times recommended daily intake of alpha-carotene and 100 percent of recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” – Superfoods RX: 14 Foods that Will Change your Life, by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews

This hummus is always a hit as an appetizer for autumn parties from the start of the season through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Make leftovers to use throughout the week for quick meal prep or snacks.

How to use

  • Breakfast toast on sprouted or sourdough bread – sprinkle pumpkin seeds, pomegranate or fresh herbs on top for added nutrient density

Pumpkin hummus toast

  • Use in a wrap with leafy greens, crunchy veggies (cucumber, celery, bell peppers…) of choice, or leftover roasted veggies
  • Great after school snack with veggies, plantain chips, seed crackers or on rice cakes
  • For a dinner party, make festive by serving it pumpkin (just cut off the top and scoop out as you would a larger pumpkin to carve into a Jack-o-lantern)
  • Or serve it as a hummus board like this.  I find that if you put that out first, the veggies get eaten! Then bring out the chips/pita bread.

How many plant foods (remember spices count) are in this picture? The more plants, the more nutrients!

Pumpkin Hummus Board

It also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week

 

Recipes

Pumpkin Hummus

Tis the season! 🍁 Put fall in your hummus by adding pumpkin and spices — making it more delicious and nutritious.

Fiber-rich and loaded with vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene pumpkins are nutrient dense food with multiple health benefits. The high fiber content can promote brain health by supporting a healthy gut.

“Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable carotenoids known to humans. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times recommended daily intake of alpha-carotene and 100 percent of recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” – Superfoods RX: 14 Foods that Will Change your Life, by Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews

This hummus is always a hit as an appetizer for autumn parties from the start of the season through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Make leftovers to use throughout the week for quick meal prep or snacks.

How to use

  • Breakfast toast on sprouted or sourdough bread – sprinkle pumpkin seeds, pomegranate or fresh herbs on top for added nutrient density

Pumpkin hummus toast

  • Use in a wrap with leafy greens, crunchy veggies (cucumber, celery, bell peppers…) of choice, or leftover roasted veggies
  • Great after school snack with veggies, plantain chips, seed crackers or on rice cakes
  • For a dinner party, make festive by serving it pumpkin (just cut off the top and scoop out as you would a larger pumpkin to carve into a Jack-o-lantern)
  • Or serve it as a hummus board like this.  I find that if you put that out first, the veggies get eaten! Then bring out the chips/pita bread.

How many plant foods (remember spices count) are in this picture? The more plants, the more nutrients!

Pumpkin Hummus Board

It also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week