No need to stress about Halloween if you have food allergies

Halloween is rapidly approaching, and for those of us who are parents to a food-allergic child, the planning and plotting start.

I am not one to stress about such situations. I simply do some legwork ahead of time and let Ava enjoy the night.

I let her trick-or-treat just like any other kid in the neighborhood. Here’s what my planning consists of:

I make bags that have Annie’s bunny snacks, lollipops, fruit strips, Twizzlers, animal crackers and anything else she can have. I pass them out to my immediate neighbors, who then give them to Ava.

I make sure I have her Enjoy Life chocolate bars, soy ice cream, etc., on hand to basically trade her when she gets back.

And then I simply take out what she can’t have. End of story. Everyone is happy.

Ava really isn’t too concerned with the candy. She just wants to be out with her friends collecting stuff. And I don’t let any irrational food allergy fears get in the way of that.

Anyone else have any tips to offer?

Here are some more great Halloween links:

Check out my Halloween lights. Who else out there decorates for Halloween? Shoot me an email with your pictures and I’ll post them here at a later date.

Kima’s Konfections right here in York makes speciality desserts that can be catered to an individual’s dietary needs. Check her out on Facebook here.

Quite possibly one of my best finds on the internet: Indie Candy. They make fun Halloween candy that is allergen-free and without preservatives.

Find a host of tips for dealing with food allergies and Halloween candy here. (plus you get bonus tips for Turkey Day, X-Mas and Kwanzaa!)

Click here for a listing of area Halloween parades and trick-or-treat nights.