Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Exciting Halloween Suggestion For Trick Or Treat

johalex

Recommended Posts

johalex Rookie
johalex
Posted

My ds and I had a heart-to-heart talk about his Celiacs a few weeks back. He is very concerned about Halloween and told me he feels both sad and angry when we go through his Halloween candy and take the things that he cannot eat. It isn't any better when we trade them with his sister- he still feels badly by it all.

So, I thought and thought and came up with this solution, and he is tickled pink by it! He is 8, BTW.

I am going to make a trip to the Dollar Store. I have a huge list of candy that is listed as "gluten free" that my local Celiacs society puts out each year. I am going to buy the candies he can have off that list that are his favorites- but in the bigger forms.

I am then going to set up a Candy Store. Each bigger item will have a price of, say 10 smaller pieces of candy. He can trade his candy for the ones he really wants! Then, we are taking that candy into work with Daddy, where it will be put in a bowl for the customers to eat.

I just wanted to share that idea. This is just one of a number of ideas I am coming up to make my son's life more *fun* when it comes to foods and all the limitations that they cause him. He also has a dairy intolerance, so the issues are numerous.

JAT!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


buffettbride Enthusiast
buffettbride
Posted

I think that is a great idea. I might try something similar with my 10 year old. This is her first Halloween as a Celiac.

Do you happen to have that list you were given for this year's gluten-free halloween candy? I've been looking for a current one, but only can find one from ROCK for 2006.

jmd3 Contributor
jmd3
Posted

This is my dd first Halloween gluten free - that is a great idea! I noticed that you have a list of candies from the celiac society - could you please post the list and also please share the list of dairy free-gluten free candies....I am missing this and thought perhaps as a treat I could have a piece of gluten-free/CF candy.... Thanks!

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

That's a great idea.

I know it's alot of work but if someone could post a list that'd be great.

I decided to order from Oriental Trading Co. and give out glow in the dark vampire fangs and bouncy balls instead of candy this year. I spent a little more than I would have on candy but I feel better about it and we can save the leftovers for next year or donate bouncy balls to the school for prizes(they're always asking and usually give candy, arrgh! :angry: ).

zarfkitty Explorer
zarfkitty
Posted

What great ideas! Here's another one:

This is my daughter's first Halloween with dietary restrictions. She's going to trick-or-treat for UNICEF instead of for candy. (I already bought a bunch of Gluten-free Casein-free candies for her to pig out on at the appropriate time!)

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is a great way for kids to help other kids and it's been going on since 1952. You can get an orange UNICEF donation box at your local Hallmark shop (it's free). It's a small cardboard box with a slot in the top for coins. At each house, the trick-or-treater asks for spare change in addition to candy (or in our case, instead of candy). Then you send the money to UNICEF to help kids around the world.

Yay!

Ridgewalker Contributor
Ridgewalker
Posted

What excellent ideas! This is our first gluten-free Halloween as well. I, too, would appreciate that list of safe candy.

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

I'll throw out what I'm doing for Halloween. I thought about trading candy but quite honestly, I don't want it in the house (I eat waaaaay more than my fair share, if you know what I mean ;) ). Plus, the kids do a camping trip one of the weekends of Oct and there is trick or treating there, also. So I made a deal with them. They get some candy to eat the night of trick or treating and then they get to pick out three pieces of candy from the camping trip and 7 pieces of candy from Halloween night and then the rest of it is traded in for (dare I say it?) a Webkinz. Then the pounds & pounds of candy will go with my husband to work!! They readily agreed!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


weathertopmama Rookie
weathertopmama
Posted

Great ideas! This is what we did last year:

We went trick-or-treating in a nearby neighborhood, just for the tradition and social aspect of it. When we came home, they handed me their pumpkin baskets, and went into our dining room which I had decorated for our home party :) They were immediately distracted by the goodies and decorations. I had a little bag of gluten-free candy for each of them, and the crockpot of chili was ready.

While DH and the boys began on the supper, I went in the other room and dumped all their T-or-T candy in a big bowl to hand out to the trick-or-treaters that came to our door. Our boys didn't eat any of it! They didn't care; they had their bags of safe candy.

I don't know if this would work for kids old enough to trick-or-treat without parents. Probably not.

Nikki'smom Apprentice
Nikki'smom
Posted

What great ideas! This is our 1st halloween gluten-free. so far my dd (7) hasn't questioned anything so i am not setting up a back up plan but I will certainly keep these in the back of my mind just incase! Thanks!

That list would be wonderful is it could be posted.

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I tried to post a link and unable too.

Google "Gluten Free Candy List" and you will find the 2006 ROCK List.

It's not guarenteed current, but close.

Happy Halloween!

Stargate-geek Newbie
Stargate-geek
Posted

Oh man! I wish my mom had done that with me! Since 4, we knew I couldn't have red dye, so I'd always traded with my sister (who was a little less then fair, but nothing I could do about it.) Then when I was 9, we discover I couldn't have gluten OR chocolate! That meant 98% of the candy was poison to me! So I ended up going, but not enjoying myself much know it was pointless, giving all the candy to my dad to take to work with him. I always felt like the odd one out.

That's a really good idea though! If I ever have celiac kids, I'll be sure to use that idea!

kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

I've heard of some parents trading for money, too. Like a quarter for each piece of non-gluten-free candy. If I were a kid, I would totally have taken the money. I guess it depends on what motivates your kid!

We weren't allowed to eat any candy while trick-or-treating. That night we'd spend hours sorting and trading, but not eating any. After dinner we were allowed a few pieces, but we always shared with our parents. We got a few pieces every night, but we never ended up eating it all. My brother and I weren't big candy people. We would have been so much more happy with money.

AidansMom2006 Newbie
AidansMom2006
Posted

These are all great ideas! This is our first gluten-free Halloween; however it's our first time to trick-or-treat since my son is only 15 months old. Having a child who's never tasted candies with soy or dairy already--and has had very little candy as it is--makes it much easier. Kids who have already formed a taste for sweets, cheese, etc.. must have it much harder.

crittermom Enthusiast
crittermom
Posted

We do the traditional trade a piece of G candy for gluten-free candy. They can have a few pieces on Halloween night. Then that night I take out a handful of candy and hide it. The next day they can have a couple of pieces, then I take out a couple of handfuls that night and hide it. I do this until there are only a few pieces left. I am not sure if this will work this year as my daughter is older and little more observant than in past years. I did this even when she wasn't gluten-free. Although she never wants candy more than 2 or 3 days past Halloween. For her it's all about the dressing up and going out T o T with my nephew. My sister and I dress up as well and take all the kids out! We have a blast and she is always more interested in that than the actual candy. Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,398
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Megannnnn
    Newest Member
    Megannnnn
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Coeliac UK Research Conference 2025

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thanks for sharing this!
    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By Mmoc · Posted

      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.