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My sons day was made when he got a bag of skittles. He isn't peanut allergic but his best friend is so we are a peanut free home. He is allergic to soy so no chocolate candies for him. Knowing what I know now I will only give out fruity sweet candies with artificial color as the only allergen. This year we bought these little coloring book packs to hand out but no one comes by anyway. My son loves them. I let him pick one thing out of his school pumpkin and that is what he picked.
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This never crossed my mind before, but when we took DS out to ToT last night, a lot of them told us to wait a second while they grabbed a "special" treat for him. These were suckers, toys, non-peanut candy, and one house even gave out juice packets like capri sun instead of candy!
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@mrs. bird: I hope I never ever have to use our epi pen! My daughter is already hyper vigilant about nuts, though. We practice all the time!
I should note that she is only 3.5 so she doesn't know which candy contains nuts or not by the wrappers. So I just let her grab whatever since she isn't ana, but I made sure she didn't open any to eat.
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Snickers and dairy free candy for the little girl down the street who can't have dairy.
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We do 2 bowls of candy - 1 is nut-free and 1 has candy with nuts. I also give out little boxes of halloween stickers or small toys for those who can't have any type of the candy we are offering (or who like stickers!).
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I usually buy a bag of allergen free candy and keep it separate and then the rest is whatever looks good to me that day. My husband is super allergic to peanuts so he hates that there is so much cross contamination.
@Andrea: I hope you never have to use your epi pen too! My dh just had to use one for the first time last week (he has had numerous ana reactions though but he has always been able to get to the hospital quickly for epinephrine.) He was terrified to use it because epinephrine makes your heart rate go crazy but he said that it was surprisingly less of an issue than he thought. He said the injection didn't hurt and by the time the side effects were bothering him the ambulance was there. It is still such a scary thing but I didn't know what to expect so that made it worse so I thought I would share!
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@Cole: oh my gosh! So glad he is ok!!!!!!
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@Andrea: We did & I feel like a jerk!! I was more concerned with dyes this year & did natural candies (almost all had nuts). I hope she got enough candy without nuts that she's a happy trick or treater!!!
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Wow. I never thought about it. @Andrea can you remind us all of this next October? I would definitely buy a nut-free option if someone reminded me!
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I voted No and Nuts are Evil. I'm allergic to them, so there's no way that I would hand them out. Besides, there's better candy without nuts like Milky Way and Three Musketeers.
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We gave out assorted chocolates, and there were definitely peanut options mixed in (peanut M&Ms, Reese's cups). Next year I'll grab some candy options for the kiddos w/allergies!
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We went to a house that handed out little packs of peanuts. They did ask and provide an alternative, but still. I was a little surprised.
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I've had kids tell me they are allergies to nuts and I let them pick what they want - usually skittles, starburst, or fruit snacks
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We had candy that contained nuts that we were going to pass out but neither of us made it home in time to pass out candy.
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@Cole: OMIGOSH. Glad he's okay! I hope I never have to use my epipen. :S
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I did, didn't even think about it! We handed out baby ruths and butterfingers, both of which have nuts I think.
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No way! I wouldn't want to be responsible for killing someone's kid!!! I guess we think of it because we have a friend who is very allergic to nuts.
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@Andrea: I'm sorry that trick or treating is stressful for you because of the nut allergy.
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We had reese's and jolly rancher (hard and soft) but no one came so it's all still here. But it was all sealed so hopefully it wouldn't be a source of stress if they had the option for the nut free candy>
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@Andrea: the not knowing candy well part is why i like for them to verbalize it to the adult holding the candy. it's all so exciting they just impulsively reach their lil hands in and who knows that they're reaching into and most LOs aren't very familiar with candy, especially the kinds they've never been allowed near because they're allergic. it's not like you'd have them in the house to show them, 'hey, don't touch anything that looks like these ones!' we like lollipops because they're usually safe (not for choking, but for nut free reasons) and easy to look for.
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I don't really like nuts, so i don't but nutty candy. And the chocolate is make in peanut-free facility.
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I honestly didn't even think about that. We don't get a lot of trick or treaters and the few that do come are neighbors we already know. They would have no problems asking for nut free options if their kids were allergic.
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I feel so bad! I gave out full size candy bars that included snickers and peanut m&ms. We had nut free too, so if someone had asked, we could have provided....but I didnt even think about cross contamination or asking about allergies.
hopefully if someone I gave the nut stuff to was allergic they would have asked for an alternative?
I should have known better as my LO has an epi for eggs...but I didnt think about it.next year we will buy nut free...sorry
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Yes ours had nuts. It's not something I would even think about. Most candy, even if it doesn't contain nuts itself, is produced in a factory that contains nuts.
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We had several bags, chocolate and non. Chocolate. Some had peanuts. We also had pretzels, pencils, erasers and little bracelets. We get 400+ trick or treaters every year so I can't really control it all. I also haven't done my research to find out which hard fruity candies are made in peanut free factories, I have been told a good portion are atill made in factories with nuts. I just assume parents will take care of it or ask for the pencils and bracelets.
I have a friend with twins who have severe peanut allergies. She would take them trick or treating. Then come home and trade them candy she had purchased for their I safe trick or treat candy. Then I think her husband took all the peanut stuff to work.
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@Vegmama: She doesn't care about candy yet! I let her have one thing and she was happy.
@psw27: aww, thanks! I will make a PSA next October!
@mediagirl: I didn't even anticipate it being stressful. Derrrr. She got 4 giant Snickers bars from one guy early on and then I started getting worried!
@mrs. bird: yes, very good idea! Something to think about next year when she might be eating candy at 4.5. We went more for the experience this year. It was her first time going!
And thanks to everyone for being so sweet on this thread!
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Does anyone know why there seem to be so many kids today with nut allergies? Has there been a dramatic increase in food allergies in general, or just nut allergies? It seems like when I was a kid there was only one or two kids at my school that had any kind of food allergy. I handed out candy with nuts because that's what I like, and no one in my inner circle is allergic, so I didn't even think of it.....
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I always think about this, and think that I should do 2 separate bowls or something, but then I just get lazy and put it all in the same bowl. I also worry that the non-nut candy would be taken by the time some poor nut-allergic kid comes along. Cuz I like to overthink things.
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@oscarthegoon: I've never actually met someone in real life with a nut allergy. Lots of shellfish allergies, but never nut, so I don't really know how prevalent it is.
@Andrea: And I actually thank you for making me aware of this. We don't have trick or treaters, but I'd love to spread the word next Halloween to friends and family who might need to think about having a non-nut option.
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All of ours had nuts. I felt bad because I work at a school so I see the lengths parents have to go to dealing with nut allergies, but DH did the shopping.
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NO nuts for us (we have an allergy too...and I felt the SAME way!)
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@Andrea: have we ever done a nut or peanut allergy poll?
@Cole: sorry about your husband! It's so scary to think about using the epi pen on my DD... We actually switched over to the Auvi Q now. It talks to you and does a count down and removes a little of the anxiety, I think (at least that's the idea since I haven't to use it yet)... -
@T-Mom: I don't think so. You should do one!
Kinda freaky that my poll is right at 70% right now!
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I just looked it up and nut allergies for the general population is something like 1-2%. There seems to be a really high proportion here. I don't know anyone who has one, either, but there is a peanut free row of desks at one of the buildings here at work.
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@Andrea: pure sugar...no nuts in any of the candy we gave out
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I handed out 9 or 10 different chocolate varieties and all except maybe two types did nor contain nuts. I bought what I like in case I ate the leftovers.
@blackbird: both of my BILs are allergic to nuts. They are the only people I know personally who are.
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I never thought about it (and never had to, because I have always lived in apartments that didn't get trick or treaters anyway). But when we have a house and do get ToT-ers, I think I will keep one back of non-nut/chocolate candy separate and put a note out so parents or kids know there is an option for them. I wouldn't ask every kid that comes up, but that way they know they aren't being rude by asking for it either.
Will I remember this by that time, who knows? I guess I'll be taking C out by then anyway
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I don't know anyone who is personally, but I once worked in a school where 4 students in first grade class of 25 had severe ana peanut allergies. That seems REALLY high to me!
@Foodnerd81: I like this idea...put a sign up saying, Nut Free? Please ask! That way, you don't have to ask everyone, but parents of allergy kids know there's something safe there!
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I like to give out non-food items like stickers during Halloween. Maybe that makes me boring.....but at least it's safe! No one ever got sick from a cute sticker!
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We passed out a variety of stuff, and since we only had 2 trick or treaters, they got a big mix. DH and I don't like Reese's, so I know there wasn't any of those, but I think Snicker bars in there. DH just let the kids pick what they wanted.
DS did bring a lot of stuff with nuts in it home, though.
I would think parents and kids who know about an allergy would be proactive at making sure the kids don't eat anything with nuts. They can choose candy without nuts, or if it makes it into their bag, then get rid of it.
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