Several of you commented on the difficulty of managing the Halloween treats when your kid has a peanut allergy (or any other type of food sensitivity for that matter). Here's another place to look for good ideas: How to have an allergy-free Halloween at Sure Foods Living. This site was created by my friend, Alison St. Sure, who found herself with few sources of information or support when she discovered she had Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) several years ago. She created this fantastic site as a place for people to learn more about how to live with Celiac and other food sensitivities.
I'd love to keep this discussion going — I imagine every holiday poses a challenge food-wise when one's dealing with an allergy.
Those of you with food sensitivities in your families: Do you have favorite websites? Cookbooks? Brands of food? Share them in the comments!
More: Halloween hacks
We typically let the kids – allergic and non-allergic – go trick or treating. When they get back with their candy, we take it. The one who has a peanut allergy would much rather keep some of his candy that’s safe and then turn everything else in for money (he’s usually always saving for something). The other two are fine with us pulling out their peanut-laden treats out and leaving the rest.
Asha,
Thanks for including this on your site!
Jenn,
I totally forgot to mention money to use for trade! Great idea for older kids!
Alison @ Sure Foods Living
Until my peanut allergic son came along, neither my nor my inlaw’s family have had to deal with an allergy. People either “get” it, or don’t. The ones who don’t, I just do a really good job talking about it. Every. Single. Time. We. See. Them. Some of them over time have gotten much better at being sensitive to it. I’ve had to work at not taking it personally (Why why why can’t you just put away your snack bags of peanuts when you know we’re coming over!!!) and have come to the understanding that I just need to find a way for us to live with the allergy – it’s not the rest of the world that has to live with us.
I’m grateful it’s just peanuts for us, not gluten, dairy, etc.
Right now my kids are young enough that I can call things like “fruit snacks” (glorified gummy bears) candy. They are much more readily available and less expensive than chocolate manufactured at a nut free facility. So that’s what my guys will get this year.
Thanks for posting this topic!
pofak.org is my resource site.
(parents of food allergic kids)
Halloween, and all celebrations, should be an inclusive, not an exclusive experience! We invite you to check out Divvies line of gourmet fun foods– made in our dedicated peanut-free, tree nut-free, milk-free and egg-free bakery. Divvies scrumptious cupcakes with orange frosting are flying out the door. There’s still time to order for Halloween. The best part is that people without food allergies, love these treats.
My son is allergic to dairy. I love the site http://www.godairyfree.org. I’ve gotten lots of recipes and ideas from there. Many of the recipes are gluten-free, too.
We buy some flavors of the ZBars made by Clif, as well as all the Gnu bars. And we love Divvies cookies! For Halloween, I am stocking up on the YummyEarth organic lollipops, fruit snacks and some milk-free chocolate I ordered from Amandasown.com.
i have a son with gluten and dairy sensitivity. he’s on a very strict diet. what we did last year was let him go trick-or-treating, have a few (approved) pieces of candy when he got home, and then pick out what he could have. what he couldn’t got traded in for a (small) gift from the great pumpkin, who delivered the next morning. My non-allergic kids do the same thing, pick a few candies they want, and give up the rest.
Also, I’m the room mom for his preschool, so i’m in control of the treat for the class parties. I plan on making him something that ‘matches’ the class treat that I buy.
A friend who deals with this issue keeps snacks at her child’s school. They let her freeze one cookie, one cupcake and one brownie made from her safe recipes. Whatever most closely matches the snack the other kids are eating is what they pull out for her daughter.
I credit my neice with this one. She has two sons. One with peanut allergy the other not. They both go trick or treating and when they get home, both bags of candy get swapped for bags that Mom has already prepared. (Not sure what she does with the original bags)When they were younger she didn’t even tell them about the swap:)