Alternative Halloween Options for Children with Food Allergies
Trick or treat?
No tricks here! We come bearing treats for this fun holiday! Read below for helpful tips and guidance on how to have an allergy free Halloween this year.
Halloween from a parents point of view:
Halloween is an exciting night for kids to spend time with friends, of course with the added bonus of receiving and eating candy…
However, as a parent whose child (or children) have allergies, Halloween can be an exhausting night if they have to read every nutrition label for specific ingredients. Or, If a child is at the age where they trick-or-treat without their parents, it can also quickly turn into a night filled with parental anxiety that their child is eating a piece of candy that will trigger an allergic reaction. As a parent, it’s quite difficult to allow your child freedom on Halloween when they have food allergies.
We understand that both parents and children with allergies may have a different Halloween experience, which is why we have compiled some allergy free candies as well as alternative ways for parents and children to celebrate Halloween this year.
Candy Options Free from the Big 8 Allergens
According to the FDA the top eight allergens are milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. To try and make life a little easier, we compiled a list of candy options that are free from the top eight allergens.
Candies without the top 8 allergens:
- Nerds
- Flavors: Strawberry, Wild Cherry, Lemonade Wild Cherry, Grape, Apple Watermelon and Watermelon
- Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
- Dum Dums
- Blow Pops
- Swedish Fish
- Surf Sweets Organic Halloween Fruity Bears
- Starburst
- Sour Patch Kids
- Flavors: Lime, Lemon, Orange, Berry and Raspberry
- Smarties
- Skittles
- Saf-T pops
- free2b Sun Cups
- Dots
Alternative Options for Children Who Cannot Eat Candy
If your child has complex allergies or can’t have any candy, we put together some activities that don’t involve trick or treating:
- Candy free halloween party in your neighborhood – Focus on activities such as word searches, making ghosts out of tissues, pumpkin carving or making caramel apples. Have the kids come in costumes and even have a costume contest!
- Allergy friendly baking – Use your favorite allergy free recipes and bring in orange and green frosting and have your kids decorate them.
- Fun fact: instead of using food coloring you can use matcha for green and freeze dried peaches for orange!
- Halloween activities – There are tons of other ways to celebrate halloween including pumpkin carving, making pumpkins out of sponges using paint, coloring pages, writing a story together, are all great ways to avoid trick or treating.
Don’t Want Children with Allergies to Miss Out on Trick-or-Treating?
If you would like to create an allergen safe environment for trick-or-treaters that may stop by your house, the Teal Pumpkin Project is a great way to make an inclusive space for all children. In order to participate in this project, place a teal pumpkin on your front porch or doorstep. In this teal pumpkin, place allergen friendly toys and other fun goodies to signal that your house is an allergen friendly location!
To learn more about this project, visit the Teal Pumpkin Project to gather information and other resources that you can use to create an inclusive environment for all children this Halloween. Resources include non-food treats, trick-or-treating tips, and other activities to keep your little ones entertained! Make sure to check out their website for allergy friendly maps that you can add to your house, as well as pre-made labels you can print for your porch.