How to:have a healthier Halloween with my wicked wiggly worm recipe

Although the sickly treats of the spooky season may tickle your tot's taste buds, they don't have to trigger the tooth decay that damages their dental health - particularly if parents are willing to whip up these wicked wiggly 'worms' as a healthier, Halloween themed treat...

 Ingredients:

  • x2 packs of sugar free jelly.
  • x2 sachets of gelatine.
  • 1 pint of boiling water.
  • 1-4 drops of red and/or green food colouring - optional.
Other:
  • A selection of straws.
  • x1 pint glass.
  • x1 elastic band.
How to create the creepy crawlies:
  • Pour the sugar free jelly into a pint of boiling water and leave until liquefied.
  • Sprinkle two sachets of gelatine into the juice like jelly - stirring thoroughly until the liquid is free from lumps.
  • Drip 1-4 drops of your chosen food colouring/s into the melted mixture (I used dark red) and stir again.
  • Place a selection of extended straws into the pint glass and secure with the elastic band - this will make it easier to distribute the dissolved jelly/gelatine by ensuring that the straws remain together.
  • Slowly pour the sugar free solution over the straws until the pint glass is full of fluid, and the straws look full of liquid (remember that it's impossible to fully fill them all unless you slash the length of the straws!).
  • Pop the (soon to be) innocent insects into the fridge and allow to solidify.
  • Once the solution has set, slowly start to tease the wiggly 'worms' out of the straws using your fingers - placing too much pressure on the straws at this point will split the worms.
  • Serve as a spooky sweet treat or as a healthier, Halloween themed alternative to shop brought sweets.
Top tip: sugary food and drink sources such as squash, sweets and soft drinks can not only contribute to childhood obesity (and an array of obesity related diseases), but the development of dental decay.

In order to shield your youngster from the detrimental effects of excess dietary sugar (and reduce their risk of developing a preference for sweet sources from an early age), encourage them to eat and enjoy the intrinsic sugars (the type that we don't need to ditch from their daily diet) found in food sources such as fruit and vegetables as opposed to the non-milk extrinsic sugars found in 'food' sources such as cakes and confectionery. A combination of regular dental check ups, good oral hygiene, drinking from a cup or free flowing beaker (not a bottle!) and avoiding sugary sources between meals will also aid their dental health. 

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