Believe it or not, Halloween is almost here! Families everywhere will be rushing to Target, CVS and Costco to prepare for their trick or treaters. It’s really important when you are buying candy to be mindful of kids with allergies! There are plenty of candies that have several food allergens and can cause serious reactions. If you have a food allergy, you know how serious this can be, and it’s important for all of us to think about allergy friendly Halloween candy. There are SO many candy options and there actually are lots of allergy friendly candies and that’s what I’m going to help you with today!
Allergy Friendly Halloween Candy
To prepare for Halloween, order or buy allergen free candy and non allergen free candy. Keep them in separate bowls and label them at your house! Outlined below are candies that are free of the top 7 allergens. The allergen free candy is: dairy free (free of milk/dairy), nut free, peanut tree nut free, egg free, soy free, and gluten free. If you aren’t sure if a candy is allergen free, look up their ingredients on their website to be 100% sure! Okay, let’s get to the good stuff – candy!
Chocolate
Enjoy Life Foods Rice Milk Crunch Bars
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate Mini: Unsweetened Chocolate, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter., Ricemilk Chocolate Mini: Cane
Free2b sun cups
Ingredients:
Dark Chocolate Sun Cups: Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Sunflower Seeds, Organic Powdered Sugar (Evaporated Cane Juice, Tapioca Starch), Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt
Dark Chocolate Mint Cups: Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Sugar, Powdered Sugar (Evaporate Cane Juice, Tapioca Starch), Rice Drink (Filtered Water, Brown Rice, (Partially Milled), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil and/or Safflower Oil, Sea Salt),Cocoa Butter, Peppermint Flavoring (Peppermint, Sunflower Oil)
Chocolate Sun Cup 2-Pack:
Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Rice Syrup Powder, Unsweetened Chocolate, Sunflower Lecithin (an emulsifier), Salt, Natural Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors(s)), Sunflower Seeds, Powdered Sugar (Cane Sugar, Tapioca Starch), Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt Related products
Other Candies
Smarties
Ingredients: Dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavors
Skittles
Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors
Blow pops
Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Gum Base, Starch, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Artificial Flavors, Artificial Colors
Dum dums
Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Color Added
Swedish fish
Ingredients: Sugar, Invert Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Contains less than 2% of Citric Acid, White Mineral Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavor
Starbursts
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Apple Juice from Concentrate, Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Gelatin, Modified Corn Starch, Ascorbic Acid
Sour patch kids
Ingredients: Sugar, Invert Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors
Mike and Ike’s
Ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup, modified food starch, fruit juice from concentrate (pear, orange, strawberry, cherry, lime, lemon), contains less than 2% of the following: citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, sodium citrate, natural and artificial flavors
Dots
Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Modified Food Starch, Malic Acid, Artificial and Natural Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Artificial Colors
A few other options for allergy free candy are jelly beans, ring pops, and surf sweets. Kids with food allergies have great options these days! Make sure your thinking about these options when you go out to do your Halloween shopping!
How to Approach Halloween Candy
Before trick or treating, plan a balanced dinner that the kids can fill up on.
Offer a meal with a source of protein, carbohydrate, fat and fruit or vegetable. Then go on your way and have a blast trick or treating! That night let your kids enjoy as much candy as they want.
If you have older toddlers or children that you think would enjoy an activity, have them describe the candy and rate which ones they like the best and least. Use it as a time for them to learn what candy they like and what they don’t like. Do not worry how much sugar they have consumed. These experiences are more about the happy memories than the nutrition!
In the following days, pick a time to enjoy their Halloween candy. For example, with an afternoon snack or meal. I’d avoid offering the candy with dinner or after dinner as sugar can have a big impact on sleep.
Let your children pick out 1-2 pieces to enjoy when you offer it.
Keep candy in a designated spot so that they know where it is. Let them have a piece each day until it’s gone or they have lost interest. Consistent access to candy let’s kids learn how to eat them! If it’s scarce in the home or we make a big deal about it when they eat it they end up wanting it more.
Contributions to this post by Lauren Sharifi, MPH, RD, LDN. Lauren’s experience in pediatric nutrition and feeding comes from over 10 years of experience in the field both working in hospitals and in private practice. Lauren is a mom of three young children. Her goal as a dietitian is to help you raise confident eaters who have a healthy relationship with food and their body. Through your work together, she helps you take the confusion out of feeding and cooking and guide you to a place of confidence when it comes to feeding your family.
She works virtually with clients in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. For more information on Lauren’s services, visit her check out my nutrition coaching page. If interested in working together please contact her here.