Healthy Halloween Caramel Dip Apples recipe

Halloween is like the scariest holiday for me. Not because of the ghouls and goblins, but because of the SUGAR!

Sugar is a major cause of disability and disease in the modern world. The average American eats 57 pounds of sugar every year. That is just gross. It is estimated that the US spends $1 trillion per year in healthcare fighting against diseases caused by excess sugar consumption. That is even grosser.

If you were to make one single change in your diet to benefit your health, it should be to eliminate sugar. There is FAR more evidence that sugar causes disease than any other food (think meat, egg yolks, dairy, and “carbs”- health foods in my book).

So, when the kids come home with bags of candy from Halloween, or when they come knocking on my door for candy, I literally want to jump out of my skin and shriek like a skinless banshee. Which is very apt for this particular holiday.

In any case, I have done my fair share of doling out candy to the kids, much to my dismay. Under the warning that our house would get egged, I handed out pencils and toys, stickers and whistles, and kids seemed to like it- or they were just being polite. I now happen to live in a neighborhood where the houses are far enough apart that we don’t get a single trick-or-treater. It makes me kind of sad because I don’t get to see the adorable children all dressed up, but I do feel relieved that I am not contributing to the destruction of the health of our youth.

Sugar really is evil and we should be discouraging its intake at every possible turn. So, this year, make this yummy treat instead. Yes, it has some natural sugars in it, but it is high in fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. It is meant to be a treat, not an everyday snack.

Enjoy! (Even with my ghoulish attitude)

INGREDIENTS

Apples, cut into slices1 ½ cup of pitted fresh dates 1 cup coconut cream (not the water) ¼ cup coconut oil ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp maldon sea salt flakes

DIRECTIONSPut the dates into a food processor and pulse until it is a thick paste-like consistency. Add in the coconut cream, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Pulse until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove from the food processor and scoop the mixture into a bowl, sprinkle in the salt and stir well.Use it as a delicious, whole food, sweet dip for your apples.

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