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Only Treats, Please: A Safer Halloween

By Kristie Turck •  Published 10/21/08 •  2 min read

Last updated on August 20th, 2022 at 12:34 am

My little guy is still too young to really “get” Halloween and fortunately is also too young to be aware of candy.  But next year, I probably won’t be as lucky, leaving me with the worry about how to handle Halloween with a kid who has food allergies.

I found some good advice here from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAI).   What I founds most interesting is that the AAAI’s website claims that those cute “fun-size” candies used at Halloween don’t always contain the same ingredients as their larger-sized counterparts and the “fun-size” usually aren’t individually labeled.  This means that a candy that is normally “safe” may not be in the smaller size.   I imagine this may be of particular concern for those children with a nut allergy.

I also came across the website for Green Halloween, a grassroots movement for healthier and more “green” holidays.  With advice on how to make your own Halloween costume, there’s also tips on providing treat-or-treaters with non-candy treats on the big day.  Frankly, I’d rather my kid get a bunch of stickers or juice boxes rather than candy.

No one wants to rain on Halloween’s parade, but there are ways to modify the overindulgence on candy.  And whether you’re dealing with an allergy or just want to set a good example for healthy eating, looking into some alternatives to candy may not be such a bad idea.  Plus, you might not have to deal with the kids bouncing off the ceiling in a perpetual sugar rush for days on end.

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