Halloween is approaching and when you have a gluten free child it’s time to start thinking about class parties and trick-or-treating.  Here are some steps you can take to ensure your child has a happy experience.

In School

• Contact teacher – See who’s planning the classroom party and talk to them. Offer gluten free treat suggestions.
• Send in a GF treat – Offer to send in a gluten free treat that everyone would enjoy and won’t break the bank (we all know how expensive gluten free products can be).
• Talk with your child – Take time to sit down with your child and remind him or her that not all sweets are gluten free.
• Make up a lunch box – containing a selection of sweets your child can enjoy.

At Home

• Focus on Fun – Make Halloween all about the fun of dressing up and getting together with friends to go trick-or-treating, not about the sweets your child can’t have.
• Make a fun treat – If your child sees a homemade treat that isn’t gluten free, make a gluten free version your child can enjoy.

More Ideas

Here are some ideas for sweets currently listed as Gluten Free by Coeliac UK or that come recommended by other parents with GF children and have “walked the walk”.

Aero
Aero Mint
Aldi Bubbles
Aldi Marshmallows
Aldi GF Snowballs
Bitsa Wispa – Cadbury
Bounty
Burts Crisps
Curlywurly – Cadbury
Crunchie
Dairy Milk – (Mint, Almond, Milk, hazelnut, Fruit & Nut)
Haribo
Hershey’s Almond
Jelly Tots
Keogh’s Crisps (some are GF)
Kinder Surprise
Lidl Jellies
M&M’s (Choco & Peanut)
Mini Eggs
Mrs Crimbles Oven Baked Potato Bites
Paynes Poppets
Pom Bears Crisps
Reese Cups
Reese Pieces
Rowentree Pastiles
Rowentree Fruit Gums
Rowentree Jelly Tots
Snickers
Thorntons – many of their Chocolates are GF
Toblerone
Twirl – Cadbury
Twisted – Cadbury
Werthers Chewy Toffee
Wispa – Cadbury

This is a link to the Gluten Free section of the Cadbury website – very useful if you want to look for more GF alternatives to the ones listed above. www.cadbury.co.uk/products?ing=ing_gluten_absent,ing_wheat_absent

Have a safe and happy Halloween!