Halloween is a time for tricks, treats, haunted houses and spooky costumes, but it can be an extra scary time for parents who have children with food allergies. Much of the candy handed out door to door contains the top eight food allergens, including peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts and soy. Here are a few ways to make sure this year is full of treats for your kids, and no scary tricks.
FoodAllergy.org says 5.6 million children or nearly 8 percent have food allergies according to results from a 2015-2016 survey. That’s equal to one in 13 children or roughly two in every classroom.
Take the Relative Route
One way to make sure your child doesn’t come in contact with foods he’s allergic to on Halloween is to only trick-or-treat family and close friends who are aware of your child’s allergies. Kim and Travis Lawson, parents of three from Country Club, MO, say when their son with a peanut allergy was younger, they simply visited their parents for trick-or-treating. “It’s really scary at Halloween, because he can’t have a lot of the candy,” Kim says. “When he was younger, we just went to our parents’ house.”
Follow the Teal Pumpkins
In 2014, Food Allergy Research & Education created the Teal Pumpkin Project, a campaign to raise awareness of food allergies and provide safe options for food allergic trick-or-treaters. Participants in the project place a teal pumpkin outside their home to let trick-or-treaters know they’re offering safe non-food treats, like small toys. Keep your eye out for the teal pumpkins and let those homeowners know how you appreciate their participation. If you’d like more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project, visit FoodAllergy.org.
Candy Swap
As soon as your kids return from trick-ot-treating, help them look through their candy and check the ingredients. “We make two different piles of candy. One for things he can eat and one for things he can’t eat. Then we explain why he can’t have them,” says Kim. If you are trick-or-treating with friends or siblings, let them trade candy for things they are able to eat. Swaps can help ease their disappointment about the candy they aren’t able to have.
No Snacking on the Go
Before you leave for a night of fun, make sure your child knows no snacking on candy is allowed until you’re home and have gone through what candy is safe. While out trick-or-treating, your child may be tempted to let down her guard, reach into her stash and grab a piece of candy to snack on without checking the label, which can be extremely risky.
Bring Your Own Treats
Kids always look forward to their fall parties at school, but school can be a dangerous place for kids with food allergies. “The first day of school I was a nervous wreck,” says Kim. To ease your mind, talk to your child’s teacher and the volunteers organizing the party so they are aware of your child’s allergies. Offer to bring the treats for the whole class, so you know exactly what the ingredients are and your child doesn’t feel left out by not having the same treat as his classmates. “If Ben goes to a party and can have the same cupcake as the other kids, he’s ecstatic because that doesn’t happen often, and he doesn’t understand why,” says Travis.
Change Your Trick-or-Treat to “No ______ Please”
One way to try to avoid a certain allergen would be to say, “Trick-or-treat, no (fill in the allergen), please!” at each door. This is a nice way to let the neighbor know about your child’s allergen. However, be aware this still might not weed out all candies without that allergen. Many people don’t realize how many foods may contain peanuts, milk or soy, so your child still might end up with off-limits candy.
Regan Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in St. Joseph, MO, with her husband, 6-year-old daughter and soon-to-be newborn baby girl.