Halloween is tomorrow and while most parents only have to worry about their kids rotting their teeth, many parents have children with food allergies and the candy they have in their pumpkin could be life threatening. We wanted to offer a few tips for parents on keeping Halloween safe for their trick’or’treaters.
- 1. Educate your child on the different types of candy and what they can/cannot have.
- 2. After a night of trick’or’treating, sort through the candy and make sure to remove all candy that could set off a reaction. Also look for containments with loose wrappers or open bags.
- 3. Bake allergy-safe foods ahead of time and give them to your kid after their night out instead of risking a reaction.
- 4. Carry your child’s emergency medications while out and about
- 5. Check ingredients of the candy ahead of time. While treat size doesn’t always list the ingredients, you may need to do some research ahead of time. We found a great blog that lists safe candy for those with peanut allergies: http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/2010/10/peanut-allergy-news-safe-halloween.html
- 6. Trade out your kids candy with other ‘prizes’ such as coloring books, toys, stickers or special privileges.
- 7. Make sure your child doesn’t feel left out by their food allergy. Sort through all the children’s candy, not just theirs, sneak allergy-safe treats into their jack’o’latern and carry safe snacks while out trick’or’treating so that when other kids are raiding their candy, they can be enjoying treats too.
We hope everyone has a safe and ghoulish Halloween! Remember to do your research and plan ahead so that your children can participate in all the same fun as those without food allergies. If you have questions about specific foods and food allergies, don’t hesitate to call our office at 719-473-0862 or toll free: 800-533-3900.