Did you know 8% percent of children have food allergies? That’s 1 in 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom[1]. As the parent of a child who has severe food allergies, I think about the challenges the holidays bring to all families dealing with allergies.
Walking down the Pharmacy’s Halloween Candy aisle, 90% of the ‘fun-size’ candies contain at least 1 of the top 8 allergens. Not a fun size for children with allergies! That’s why we make sure to carry alternative, allergy-friendly candy options, as well as some other fun substitute ideas.
Allergy-Friendly Options at Oswald’s
To start, we’ve brought candy and food brands that were produced with food allergens in mind into stock:
- No Whey! makes allergy-friendly alternatives to M&M’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers that we carry. This year, we’re carrying the fun-size versions of those candy bars; perfect for Halloween! We also brought in No Whey’s chocolate spider lollipop!
- Enjoy Life has created an extensive line of sweet and savory snacks. They go beyond the common ‘top 8’ allergens and expand it to the top 14! (Wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, casein, soy, egg, sesame, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish & crustaceans.) This list also makes their foods friendly to those on a plant-based diet or those with gluten sensitivity.
- 88 Acres knows a healthy source of fiber, protein, and fat is often found in nuts and seeds. But what happens if you’re allergic to nuts? 88 Acres has you covered! They’ve got a great line of ‘craft seed bars’ made with their proprietary blend of sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds. Our most popular seller is their Double Chocolate Mocha Seed bar. Mmmmm.
‘Classic’ Allergy-Friendly Candy
Beyond the brands we’ve brought in with allergy-friendly ingredients in mind, some candy ‘classics’ are also free of the top 8 allergens:
- Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
- Dum-Dums lollipops
- Original Skittles
- Ring Pops
- Smarties
- Sour Patch Kids
- Starburst
- Swedish Fish
- Tootsie’s Dots
If you want to think outside the box, why not give away another kind of treat this Halloween? It doesn’t have to be candy! I’m sure dentists can get behind that idea.
Alternative Trick-or-Treat Options
At our annual Fall Festival, we often hand out glow-in-the-dark bracelets or necklaces. Not only are glow in the dark accessories fun and unique compared to just another candy bar, it helps kids stay visible once the sun goes down if they’re still out trick-or-treating. Outside of glow-in-the-dark items, other fun, non-food Halloween treats are:
- Pencils, pens, erasers
- Bouncy balls
- Stickers
- Coins
- Halloween Jewelry (ex. spider rings, plastic vampire fangs)
- Bookmarks
The Teal Pumpkin
Did you know teal is the color of food allergy awareness? With that in mind, Becky Basalone, a Tennessee mom of two kids with food allergies, got the idea to start the Teal Pumpkin Project in 2012. The idea was simple; if a house had a teal pumpkin out front, you knew you could find an allergy-friendly food or toy option there! By 2014, FARE, the Food Allergy Research & Education group, caught wind of the trend and helped make the Teal Pumpkin Project a nation-wide part of the Halloween tradition!
This year, you can expect to see a teal pumpkin in our display window, letting all families who have food allergy issues know Oswald’s understands your needs. We’ve got you covered this Halloween! Hoping everyone has a happy, safe holiday this year.
References
[1] United States Census Bureau Quick Facts (2015 estimates). & Gupta RS, Springston MR, Warrier BS, Rajesh K, Pongracic J, Holl JL. The prevalence, severity, and distribution of childhood food allergy in the United States. Pediatrics 2011; 128(1):e9-17
