It’s spooky season. Halloween is right around the corner complete with dress up, trick or treating and buckets full of candy. But for parents of kids with food allergies or sensitivities, it can make for an even more hectic season.
I am in a mad dash to track down the very specific costumes my kids have requested this year (anyone else’s kid want to be a brachiosaurus? Nope? Just mine?) In all of the Halloween rush I’m also ordering my Halloween candy both for my own kiddos and to put out in a bowl for the neighborhood kids.
Holidays with food allergies or sensitivities
You may ask, why am I buying my own kids Halloween candy? I have one kiddo who is gluten intolerant which makes navigating which candies are gluten-free and ok for him to eat a little tricky. Plus we are also food dye free in our house.
When you have certain dietary restrictions or food allergies it can make holidays like Halloween, which centers pretty exclusively around candy, tricky for parents. You want your kids to enjoy the holiday and trick or treat just like everyone else but you’re also worried that they might get ahold of a candy that will make them break out in a rash, have an upset tummy or even worse have a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction.
It’s hard enough being the parent of a child with food allergies or sensitivities without then also throwing in candy-related holidays. Having candy on hand that you know 100% what the ingredients are and that they’re safe for your kids is one more thing off your mental plate.
We’ve employed The Flip Flop Swap in our house for the last few Halloweens and it has gone over well. Our kids still get the normal trick or treating experience without all of the candy that will cause reactions with allergies or sensitivities.
If you’re looking for some yummy, allergen and food dye free candies for the Flip Flop Swap for your kiddos for Halloween these are some of our family’s favorites.
YumEarth Organic Candy Corn
Substitute for: Traditional Candy Corn
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Fish
- Shellfish
Other certifications:
- Manufactured and packaged in a peanut and tree nut free facility
- Non-GMO
- No artificial dyes
- Certified organic
- No high fructose corn syrup
Buy here
YumEarth Organic Fruit Pops
Substitute for: Dum Dums
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Egg
Other certifications:
- Manufactured and packaged in a peanut and tree nut free facility
- No artificial dyes
- Certified organic and non-GMO
- No high fructose corn syrup
- Vegan
- Kosher
Buy here
YumEarth Organic Halloween Gummy Fruit Snack Packs
Substitute for: Haribo Gummy Bears
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Egg
- Shellfish
Other certifications:
- Manufactured in a peanut free facility
- No artificial dyes
- Certified organic and non-GMO
- No high fructose corn syrup
- Vegan
Buy here
Black Forest Organic Halloween Trick or Treat Candy Mix
Substitute for: Dum dums, Haribo gummy bears
Free of these allergens:
- Gluten
- Made in a facility with other allergens so it cannot be guaranteed as 100% free of other allergens
Other certifications:
- Organic
Buy here
Surf Sweets Organic Fruit Snacks with Spooky Shapes
Substitute for: Traditional fruit snacks
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts
- Tree Nuts
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Egg
- Shellfish
Other certifications:
- Manufactured and packaged in a facility free of the top 10 food allergens
- No artificial dyes
- USDA certified organic and non-GMO
- No high fructose corn syrup
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Made with Fair trade organic cane sugar
Buy here
SMASHMALLOW Halloween Fun Size Variety Pack
Substitute for: Marshmallows,
Free of these allergens:
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Corn
- Egg
Other certifications:
- Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa
- Made with organic cane sugar
- Non-GMO
Buy here
YumEarth Organic Sour Beans
Substitute for: Sour Patch Kids, Sour Patch Straws
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts and tree nuts
- Gluten
- Shellfish
- Soy
- Dairy
- Fish
- Egg
Other certifications:
- Vegan
- Non-GMO
- USDA certified organic
Buy here
No Whey Foods – Spook Free PeaNot Cups
Substitute for: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Free of these allergens:
- Dairy
- Peanut and Tree Nut Free
- Egg
- Soy
- Wheat
- Sesame
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Gluten
Other certifications:
- Vegan
- Free from Artificial Colors and Flavors
- Kosher
- Strictly made in dedicated Gluten Free facility
Buy here
No Whey Foods – Choco No No’s
Substitute for: M&M’s
Free of these allergens:
- Dairy
- Peanut and Tree Nut Free
- Egg
- Soy
- Wheat
- Sesame
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Gluten
Other certifications:
- Vegan
- Free from Artificial Colors and Flavors
- Kosher
- Strictly made in dedicated Gluten Free facility
Buy here
No Whey Foods – Milkless Crunchy Chocolate Bars
Substitute for: Crunch bar
Free of these allergens:
- Dairy
- Peanut and Tree Nut Free
- Egg
- Soy
- Wheat
- Sesame
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Gluten
Other certifications:
- Vegan
- Free from Artificial Colors and Flavors
- Kosher
- Strictly made in dedicated Gluten Free facility
Buy here
YumEarth Organic Strawberry Licorice
Substitute for: Twizzlers
Free of these allergens:
- Peanuts and tree nuts
- Gluten
- Shellfish
- Soy
- Dairy
- Fish
- Egg
Other certifications:
- Vegan
- Non-GMO
- USDA certified organic
Buy here
Enjoy Life Halloween Chocolate Candy Minis Variety Pack
Substitute for: Hershey’s Bar, Crunch Bar,
Free of these allergens:
- Gluten and wheat
- Peanuts and tree nuts
- Dairy and casein
- Soy
- Sulfites
- Egg
- Lupin
- Sesame
- Fish, crustaceans, shellfish
- Mustard
Other certifications:
- Non-GMO
- Certified Gluten-Free
- Kosher
- Halal
Buy here
The Teal Pumpkin Project
When you’re out trick or treating this Halloween keep an eye out for houses with a teal pumpkin. These houses have chosen to participate in The Teal Pumpkin Project whose mission is to “raise awareness of food allergies through the addition of non-food trinkets and toys to your treats, making Halloween safer and more inclusive for trick or treaters”
Some ideas of non-food toys to give out are:
If you want to participate in The Teal Pumpkin Project and make sure that other kids in your neighborhood with food allergies and sensitivities have a great trick or treating experience you can grab a teal pumpkin here.
Are you a procrastinator parent like me?
If you’re anything like me you’re probably reading this on October 28th thinking “Crap! I totally forgot about the candy!” Yup, we’re pretty much last minute soul sisters.
Don’t worry girl I’ve got you covered. If you don’t already have Amazon Prime (and if you don’t you’re missing out on some magic my friend) then you can sign up for a free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime. This will get you free 2-day shipping so you can get all the Halloween goodies delivered to your door pronto. Procrastinators unite!
Have a safe, fun and spooky Halloween!
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