Arghhhhh…. If Halloween gives you the fear for all the wrong reasons, don’t worry! The Allergy Team has put in the leg work to bring you a round-up of allergy friendly treats on sale at the major supermarkets. We’ve also shared our top tips for trick-or-treating with food allergies.
SUPERMARKET TREATS
We visited nine supermarkets: Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
There were dozens of products to choose from so we’ve selected what we think are seven of the most allergy-friendly treats from each supermarket. We looked for a range of biscuits, chocolates, lollies, marshmallows, sweets and cakes.
Not all the treats are free from all the top 14 allergens, but we’ve really tried to include something for everyone, so we hope you find goodies that your family can enjoy!
IMPORTANT: As always, please check the label before purchasing. We’ve done our best to represent the ingredient labels, but it’s vital you double-check yourself.
Click on the supermarket logos below to view our selection
TOP TIPS FOR TRICK-OR-TREATING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
1. Speak to your friends and neighbours before you set off to ask if they could have some allergy-friendly treats or non-food treats ready. You could even drop your own safe treats off beforehand.
2. Remind your child that not all the treats will be suitable or safe, to try to manage their expectations.
3. Ask your child to choose wrapped treats, so you can check the labels and ingredients later at home.
4. Buy your own safe treats to avoid disappointment if there aren’t many suitable foods for your child.
5. Build excitement around Halloween toys and dressing up, rather than focusing on food.
6. Remember to carry wipes and medication (including two AAIs if prescribed) while you’re out and about.
7. Ask the “Switch Witch” to cast a spell! In other words, ask your child to leave the sweets they collected trick-or-treating outside their bedroom door and then exchange them for a toy or allergy-friendly treats by morning.
Have fun!!
