Being the mom to a child with allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and milk makes Halloween a very SCARY holiday for us.

The funny thing is that this is my son’s favorite holiday. He loves the decorations, the skulls and skeletons, and the pumpkin patch. He loves dressing up. (We already have his costume and he is dying to wear it.) None of his love for this holiday is centered around getting candy. In fact, in previous years he would rather pass out treats at our door and see all the kids in their costumes than go door to door getting his own.

Most of the candy given to him he can’t eat. If given the bowl to pick from, he knows what is safe for him and what isn’t. When he does end up with candy he can’t have, we try to trade with his little brother. Then, after a few days, we get a note emailed to us from the Halloween Candy Fairy that tells our kids that its time to exchange their candy for a special toy the Fairy will leave. And poof, with the fairy’s wand, the candy disappears and a toy appears in it’s place.

At our school, my son is in the “allergy” class. It’s where all the kids with food allergies are placed to make it as safe as possible. For their good behavior in September, they have earned a Halloween Party. This got me thinking of what kinds of “treats” they could have. I wanted to offer the some suggestions that were free of allergens and also healthy :-). I was thrilled to, almost right at the start of my search, find these two tasty, fun and healthy options. The teachers love the ideas!

                

The pumpkin fruit cup was found on familyfun.com and the pumpkin veggie tray was posted by a friend on Facebook.

Both of these party foods are great for kids, people with any of the major food allergens (I will substitute the dip for hummus), and moms who are nutrition and fitness conscious and looking to getting themselves back into shape – BONUS!! The pumpkin veggie tray would work especially well for busy moms out there. It would take less than five minutes to prepare. The pumpkin fruit cups may not be as quick to assemble, but they are so cute they are worth the time, right?

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