Halloween used to be pure fun, but now that so many kids have food allergies, it’s definitely complicated. Somewhere between 8-10% of US children have a life threatening food allergy. Among those, about 40% are allergic to more than one food. I’ll bet food allergies may be underreported – just in my own pediatric nutrition practice, I often meet kids who have never been screened by their pediatricians or referred to allergists – and lo and behold, we find food allergies.
Then there are also food sensitivities, and food intolerances. These can occur with or without allergy reactions (which is why your child may still feel or function poorly eating a certain food even if your allergist said it tested ok). Sensitivities involve layers of the immune system different from allergy reactions and tend to emerge more insidiously or slowly, with eczema, anxiety, stomachaches, picky weak appetite, or irritable stool pattern. Intolerances can be immune-mediated or purely digestive in nature, and can include those wacky behavior changes some of you see when your kids eat stuff heavy on dyes and sugar…. like, Skittles! Kids can have one or all of these problems at once – allergy, sensitivity, and intolerance – to some of the same foods, or entirely different foods.
There are ways around it. It’s not like it used to be when kids could go door to door (without parents even!) grabbing goodies indiscriminately, and bickering over who got what with siblings once home (always interesting at my house growing up with five kids). Here are tips to help your kids have fun on Halloween even if they have food allergy and dietary restrictions.
- Teal Pumpkin Project – if you haven’t heard about it yet, dive in! Look for the Teal Pumpkin for non-food treats and little toys.
- Trick or Treat Fairy who takes your child’s candy cache and leaves a coveted toy (or toys) in its place – like the Tooth Fairy, only better.
- Bake some allergen friendly treats to trade for candy. Cookies, bars, cupcakes, or even Halloween themed fat bombs – the choices are endless.
- Paleo Chocolate Haupia
- Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Fat Bombs
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF, CF, egg free) – if GF oat flour doesn’t work for you, use any GF flour blend.
- No-Bake Hocus Pocus SpellBook Brownies (from Alter Eco)
- Organic-ingredient candies are often allergen-friendly. They are pricier, but worth it if it means avoiding that ER co-pay or Epi-Pen drama, or just for your kids’ joy and peace of mind. Here are some examples (I have no affiliate relationships with these brands BTW – I just like these a lot)
- Alter Eco makes non GMO organic chocolates in several varieties. They aren’t certified gluten free, but have no gluten ingredients, and many have no nut ingredients. Some do have milk ingredients. Check out the Quinoa Crunch or Burnt Caramel, two of my favorites.
- The Natural Candy Store lets you choose candy by dietary restriction and by organic candy status.Give their grid a try, see what you get – it’s genius! Here’s what I got when I selected strict gluten free, strict peanut free, certified non GMO, no corn syrup, certified organic candy.
- Yum Earth makes certified GF, organic, nut free, non GMO and vegan (that means strictly dairy and egg free) candy ready for Halloween sharing.
Be Sure You Don’t Make This Halloween Food Allergy Fail! …Here’s a mistake I witness often working with well meaning parents: Feeling sorry for your child. Or, unwittingly, for yourself.
When a parent comes in after we’ve started nutrition care process and spends a lot of time explaining why this can’t work because it is too hard to find or prepare substitute foods ….Hmmm. That’s not where we need our focus, and it is not what your child needs to hear from you. It’s also more about you than your child. You’re in charge of what is in your house to eat, and you do have a large measure of influence over what your child eats at school. Let’s strategize about how to do it, not about how hard it is. And truth is, it’s not so hard – once you decide it isn’t, commit to it, roll up your sleeves, and get started. It’s not too different from a weight loss project: Ultimately, you just get your butt in the gym and change up some eating habits you know aren’t helping, and you make it a lifestyle commitment.
Forget the drama about how they’re missing out. Talk about that in front of your kids, or worse – to your kids – and they will believe they are missing out and will feel bad about it. Talk up all the new choices there are to explore, and engage your kids in the discovery process, whether it’s making homemade treats, taste testing new store bought ones, or dreaming about the toy-trade options. Happy Halloween!