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! The allergen-free candy options follow the below guidelines:
- Dairy-free (free of milk/dairy)
- Nut-free
- Egg-free
- Soy-free
- 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
Chocolate doesn’t have to be off-limits! You can still be the candy king of your neighborhood handing out these allergen-free chocolate options.
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 (Evaporated 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
There are tons of nostalgic options to satisfy an allergen-free candy craving. Here are some of our favorites!
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 who are allergic to tree nuts, wheat, etc. have great options these days! Make sure you think 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. Don’t worry about 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 leftover 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 lets 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.
Teaching your child moderation when it comes to treats will go a long way! If you feel like the extra sugar is throwing off their bedtime routine, make sure they don’t have it too close to bedtime. While all the creepy Halloween stories can be so fun, keep a close eye on whether or not your little one is experiencing extra nightmares or bedtime fear. If that’s the case, keep the spooky fun earlier in the day so it’s not fresh in their mind at bedtime!
Struggling to get them to sleep consistently? You may need individualized guidance to help crack the code of your sleep issues. My Toddler Help Me Sleep Packages offer personal phone consultations, a customized sleep plan, access to a private sleep log, a future look sleep plan, and access to an exclusive Facebook group for ongoing support.
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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 guides 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 and check out her nutrition coaching page. If interested in working together, please contact her here.