Halloween can be a difficult time for families whose children are gluten-free; as they can often feel left out of the usual trick-or-treating experience. So we’ve compiled 6 tips for a gluten-free Halloween to help make Halloween more inclusive!
Know that there are gluten-free candy options available. We’ve put together the ultimate gluten-free Halloween candy, and the ultimate gluten-free Halloween chocolate lists, to help you navigate safe treats. With the help of these lists, you’ll be able to decipher which treats your kids can collect safely. Knowing that everyone can enjoy their safe candy haul!
6 Tips For a Gluten-Free Halloween
1) Throw a party:
Ditch trick-or-treating altogether, and have a Halloween party, where you can control the treats you put out. Plus, share amazing gluten-free foods, which can include appetizers or gluten-free desserts. Make the night even more fun by handing out little prizes or awards for the scariest costume, best costume, and most creative costume. So that their Halloween costume is still a big part of this special day.
2) Have a bag of safe snacks that kids can munch on as you go trick-or-treating, or before you get to go through their candy haul:
Bringing a bag of snacks that you know your kids enjoy, and can safely eat is important. Some kids may want to dig into a piece or two of candy before you get home- by being prepared you will eliminate them being left out if their friends are enjoying a treat. This is a good idea for kids without food allergies too, as parents should always go through all the candy collected. Check out these snack ideas.
3) Have trades available:
Having a one-for-one trade available might not be possible, as you don’t know how many items your kids will get trick-or-treating, and you may not want them to have that much candy. One idea is to have a trading chart, and go over this with the kids beforehand. This allows you to treat unsafe candy like arcade tokens that they can trade for something better. Then you can give away or donate the unsafe candy.
Ideas for trades might be that so many candies equal one full-size safe treat, a small gift, a Halloween book, a $5 gift card, a sticker sheet, an activity like going to the movies, or whatever activity they enjoy. The items do not have to be expensive, they just have to be something that the child will enjoy.
4) Make a Halloween basket:
Make a Halloween version of a traditional Easter basket, filled with treats so you can trade your kids’ candy for this basket. Then you can give away or donate the unsafe candy. Safe snacks can include gluten-free chips, gluten-free cereal, and Halloween-themed toys and accessories. This can include items like Halloween Squishmallows, stuffed animals, fidgets, pop-its, or whatever your kids are interested in that may be Halloween-themed or not.
5) Make safe bags and give them to your family/friends/neighbours for them to give to your kid(s):
If you know you are going to go to a certain number of doors, or are visiting certain family members, you can make them little bags to hand out to your children. You can wrap treats up in tissue paper, a Halloween treat bag, or even a zipper sandwich bag. If other people want to choose the items, you can tell them what safe treats are, and encourage them to buy stickers, or little Halloween toys to give to your child.
6) Join The Teal Pumpkin Project:
Look for houses that display teal coloured pumpkins, as a teal pumpkin means that they are aware of food allergies and give away non-food items. Things they might give away are glowsticks, stickers, plastic Halloween rings, toy spiders etc… By giving out these small items they are making Halloween more inclusive to kids with all kinds of food issues/allergies.
Armed with these 6 tips for a gluten-free Halloween, you should be ready to have a fun and safe holiday.
Do you have any tips for a gluten-free Halloween to add to our list?
Let us know in the comments below, as we love hearing from our gluten-free foodees.
By sharing information we are able to help each other live our best gluten-free life.
And by following any one of our above ideas, you’ll be making happy Halloween memories for every gluten-free child, who just wants to be treated normally!
Happy Halloween.
