Time for that annual trek to the dungeons of the nutrition underworld, where your children enter with frenzied excitement and exit days later, ravished by the likes of chocolate covered peanuts, and candy coated caramel. Don't let nightmares of nauseous bellies and rotted teeth haunt your dreams. Consider some of these backup potions to ensure your children's Halloween is as healthy and wholesome as possible.

If you live in a neighborhood where trick or treating is out of the question, consider yourself lucky from a nutrition perspective. The holiday can still be scary and fun if you plan a party for your children and their friends. Basements, backyards, and garages can become haunted houses in a matter of hours with a little imagination and some simple decorating tricks. Plan the party around dinner time and serve a ghostly bunch of treats that are sure to please even the most sugar starved costumed kids. Try this themed menu below to wholesome up the buffet table.

Ghost Gut Dip

• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 1 cup unsweetened pineapple chunks

Whirl all ingredients in a blender. Leave a little lumpy to resemble guts. Serve with appendages of carrot sticks, celery stalks, apple slices, orange sections, cucumber sticks, and banana sticks. Makes 2 cups but doubles easily.