If your kiddo has a food allergy, Halloween is a stressful time. The other 364 days a year we tell kids not to take candy from strangers, but for one night, they frolic through the streets taking treats from people you don’t know. It’s a lot to worry about — so I’ve compiled a list of Halloween candy that is safe for kids with allergies to the top 8 allergens. The top 8 are milk, egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish and shellfish. While it may seem like most candies should be free of these allergens, you’d be surprised.
First, here are some mainstream candies that are free of these top 8 allergens:
Dots
Mike and Ike
Peeps
Skittles
Smarties
Starburst
Dum Dums
Ring Pops
Jellybeans
Swedish Fish
Nerds
Sour Patch Kids
Blow Pops
ALWAYS read the nutrition labels on candy to be sure that your child’s specific allergy is not included. Many candy you think would be allergen-free contains surprise ingredients. Even some candies that are free of these allergens might not be produced in an allergen-free facility, so if your child is very sensitive, do some research. This site’s app can tell you the allergens in different foods in great detail.
For those of you hoping to pass out allergen-free candy, here are some great brands to buy from. Most will either offer shipping from their site or tell you where to buy in stores.
Free2b Sun Cups: these are a great alternative to Reese’s Cups and come in several tasty flavors.
Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Minis: these goodies are a dairy-free vegan alternative for chocoholics who can’t stomach mainstream chocolate.
No Whey! chocolates: these chocolates are whey-free among other things, and are super cute and festive!
Natural Candy Store’s Allergen-Free selection: for a huge variety of products that cater to different allergies, this is a great resource.
Pascha Organic: who says you can’t have chocolate with allergies? Pascha offers a range of chocolate products with no allergens, all organic, vegan, non GMO and paleo.
For an exhaustive list of different candy brands and the specific allergens they are free of, check out this resource.
If you plan to give out allergen-free candies or non-edible treats like stickerss this Halloween, make sure you put out a teal pumpkin on your driveway to let trick-or-treaters know you’re taking part in the Teal Pumpkin Project. This program helps food-sensitive kids have as much fun as others, and is a great system of ensuring safety.
Happy Halloween!
