I Just Thought About This?

[dreamindarlin]

Any ideas for Halloween? What's the best way to go trick or treating? I've been looking at candy and trying to find out which ones are gluten free. But kids get such a variety on Halloween....I'm kinda stumped on what to do.

[dreamindarlin]

I googled gluten free candy and found a list. Be aware that it is from last Halloween so things may have changed. I will double check all ingredients.

Open Original Shared Link

If you scroll to the bottom they have some great ideas about the gluten free candy your child can't have. My favorite is the "Pumpkin Fairy". Leave all candy containing gluten on the table before bed and the fairy will come take it for herself and leave you a nice surprise (toy)!!!

[AMQmom]

This will be the first year that my 7 year old and 3 year old go Trick-Or-Treating diagnosed as Celiac. I have told them that they will still go, but they are not to eat any candy that they collect before Mom and Dad go through it to make sure that it is safe for them. They seem fine with it - we'll see how it goes. I went online and ordered safe candy for them (one has lots of food allergies, too) so that is already taken care of. There is a place out of Ohio called Amanda's that makes nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolates and Natural Candy Store online lists candies by allergen. That way we can just trade out candy. I heard that the mini-sized candy bars are often not gluten free since they share equipment - not positive about that, but just be careful! Have fun!

[Breila]

We go TorT as always, then check the candy against a gluten-free list when we get home. I've found that he can usually keep most of it, and what he can't keep, his older brother is usually willing to trade for, so it all works out.

[ryebaby0]

Good friends usually ask about gluten-free candy, and have a jumbo-sized treat for him at their house; he trick-or-treated with a friend with food allergies, and they actually kept score of who was "doing worse" with great pride ("I can have most of this. Paul can only have the skittles, so he won" they recounted).

I'm not a huge candy fan, so my children could always swap a negotiated amount of candy for a mystery wrapped gift (usually a movie or iTunes card). Now that he and his friend have outgrown trick or treating, they hang out and watch an old scary movie, drink soda, and "rate" costumes as they come through. Postiive attitude = positive time

[Darn210]

Last year, we negotiated a trade-in . . . They each got to pick 10 pieces of candy (and my daughter had plenty to choose from) and then traded in the rest for a Webkinz each. Then I bagged it all up and sent it with hubby to work . . . 'cause I"M the one that eats most of the candy otherwise!!

[Cheri A]

Last year, we negotiated a trade-in . . . They each got to pick 10 pieces of candy (and my daughter had plenty to choose from) and then traded in the rest for a Webkinz each. Then I bagged it all up and sent it with hubby to work . . . 'cause I"M the one that eats most of the candy otherwise!!

That's pretty much what we did last year. My daughter wanted to pick her own Webkinz, so I took her shopping. After much deliberation, she chose a cute white bunny she named Candy.

[johalex]

Sometimes you may have a child who feels shortchanged on not being able to eat candy like the other kids, like my son.

What I do is this. I go to the Dollar store and pick about ten larger items that are on the gluten-free list. These are items I know ds loves. I go through his candy after T or T and set up a *store* where he can trade 10 unwanted items for these bigger (safe) ones. It worked like a charm for him the past two years we've done it, and I am happy to see a child who is excited about Halloween again.

[ABQturkey]

Years ago when my son was on the Feingold diet we did "the store" as well (except he couldn't keep ANY of his candy). We will probably do that this year with our newly diagnosed Celiac daughter. We take out what she can have, and give her plastic bins to separate the rest however she wants, then she can assign a price to each bin (the price has to be pre-approved, of course!). She sets up her "store" and we go shopping! This way she has a little bit of money to spend on something she wants. She's in 1st grade, so she's learning about money anyway. It will be a good lesson in more ways than one!

[Mommy2Ellie]

This is our first year, so I'm not sure if it'll work or not, but we're going to swap candy. We'll bring some with us trick-or-treating in case she asks for some, and the candy she gets we'll trade when we get home for gluten-free candy. Hope it works!!

[Tim-n-VA]

No children at home but I've bought gluten-free candy in the past so I can eat the leftovers.

I've also had children as for "something without peanuts please" so I try to make sure I have that covered. To avoid other problems I don't give out shellfish or other major allergens.

[Darn210]

To avoid other problems I don't give out shellfish or other major allergens.

Yep, me too! No more shrimp for those trick-or-treaters!!

[Juliet]

We trade out the candy that can't be had (which honestly was very little the last two years we've gone) with gluten-free candy that he's chosen (we go to the store and pick out a couple of gluten-free candy bags, although this year his sister will be choosing, too). We also go trick-or-treating for UNICEF, too, while we're out, and he enjoys that at some houses he gets change for them instead of candy. And for my 5 year old son, just getting dressed up and going door to door is more than enough fun. He doesn't complain at all about how we do it.

And honestly, he gets WAY more candy than he can eat before we even start the exchange. After getting one piece of candy a day (on Halloween they get 2 or 3) for about 2 weeks, I normally say it's gone, even though it's not even close to being gone, and share it with neighbors. When my son gets a little bit older and is up for trading it in for something else, I probably will do that instead.