1 in 13 kids have food allergies according to FoodAllergy.org. That is a solid percentage of the kids that you will encounter this Halloween. As a mom to a kiddo with a food allergy, I have a simple favor to ask you for this Halloween…
Will you include an allergy friendly option in the stuff you hand out to trick or treaters?
Our oldest daughter has a dairy allergy. We have learned sooooo much over the years about ways to keep her safe and help her still feel included. Every year we buy extra fruity candy so that we can swap her for all of her chocolate candy after trick or treating. She is used to having to swap with us and has always been polite even when her little heart breaks a bit when she knows she can’t eat the options from that house. Even her siblings look out for her and get extra excited when someone has non-chocolate options. I wish that I could adequately describe to you the joy that exudes from her when she gets to choose something that she loves and is safe for her to eat. It is something that most of us have never had to think about. And the fact that we can add significant joy to a kiddo’s evening by simply adding some allergy friendly options is an opportunity I hope we won’t pass up!
Some of the most common allergies are dairy, gluten, and nuts. There are also a lot of kiddos whose parents avoid artificial dyes (especially red dye) for various reasons. So you could keep that in mind, too.
Have you heard of The Teal Pumpkin Project? It was started to provide an easy way for kids with allergies, and their parents, to identify homes that were food allergy safe. When it first started people were painting their pumpkins teal and now as it has gained popularity you can buy already teal pumpkins at places like Target. Isn’t that so cool? The encouragement from the Teal Pumpkin Project is to have some non food options for kids to choose from. At our house, we tend to offer allergy friendly treats as well.
Simple allergy friends trick or treat options that you could offer:
- fruity or gummy candy
- gum
- suckers (not tootsie pops, those have dairy)
- little toys like spider rings or glow sticks
- temporary tattoos
… are all great options!
If you have a kid with a food allergy, let us know some of their favorite candy or toy options in the comments. I would love to add to this list!
Please consider adding in some allergy friendly options to your trick or treat candy this year. It will make a bigger impact than you know. And thank you, in advance, from this food allergy mom for making my daughter’s Halloween experience a bit more joyful.
