Not only has the air started to cool and the leaves started to fall, but you’ve also been bombarded with pumpkin recipes everywhere you look (and man do they look delicious). These signs mean one thing… it’s almost Halloween! Besides planning the perfect costume, Halloween can get a little tricky and require a little extra planning for someone with celiac disease or food allergies. There are lots of delicious treats out there to eat, but before you start filling your bag (or your child’s bag), it is important to learn which candies are gluten free and safe to consume. The Celiac Disease Foundation provides a nice list of gluten free Halloween treats here. To be extra safe, it is always smart to double check with the manufacturers of your favorite candies.

What if a person has multiple food allergies, or would rather not risk it with treats? A new Halloween tradition might be the perfect solution. This year, Food Allergy Research Education (FARE) is urging families to take part in the Teal Pumpkin Project. “This campaign encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters and painting a pumpkin teal- the color of food allergy awareness – to place in front of their house along with a free printable sign from FARE to indicate they have non-food treats available.” What an awesome idea! To learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project, get ideas for non-food treats, or to print out your sign click here.