Halloween is a time for spooky costumes, pumpkin carving, parties and, of course, plenty of sweets and treats!
However, for those navigating food allergies, coeliac disease, intolerances or other dietary requirements, Halloween can bring some additional challenges.
From checking unfamiliar sweets to finding suitable party food, what should be a fun celebration can sometimes become a stressful experience.
The good news? A few thoughtful changes can help make Halloween more inclusive for everyone.
Have you ever spotted a teal-coloured pumpkin outside someone's home at Halloween?
It might be more meaningful than you think!
The Teal Pumpkin Project is an initiative led by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), encouraging households to offer non-food treats alongside, or instead of, traditional Halloween sweets.
Displaying a teal pumpkin outside your home signals that non-food alternatives are available for trick-or-treaters.
This simple gesture can make a big difference for children with food allergies, coeliac disease and other dietary needs, helping them participate in Halloween traditions without feeling left out.
You don't need to stop giving out sweets to take part. Simply offering children a choice can help make Halloween more welcoming.
Learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project
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Halloween often revolves around food, particularly sweets, chocolate and party snacks.
For someone managing dietary requirements, there can be several things to consider.
Halloween often brings seasonal products, limited-edition packaging and miniature versions of familiar treats.
Even if someone has eaten a particular product before, it's important to check the ingredients every time.
Recipes, manufacturing processes and allergen information can change, while smaller seasonal versions may differ from standard products.
Finding suitable Halloween treats can become even more complicated when someone has more than one dietary requirement.
For example, a person might need to avoid both gluten and milk, or have a nut allergy alongside a vegetarian diet.
A product meeting one requirement doesn't automatically mean it meets another.
Halloween parties, shared sweet bowls and homemade treats can introduce additional risks.
For people with coeliac disease or food allergies, cross-contact with ingredients they need to avoid can be a concern.
Shared utensils, preparation surfaces and unlabelled homemade foods can make it difficult to establish whether something is suitable.
Sometimes, the biggest challenge isn't the food itself.
Imagine being a child collecting Halloween treats with friends, only to discover that you can't enjoy most of what you've been given.
Or attending a Halloween party where there are no suitable food options.
Nobody wants to feel different or left out, particularly during celebrations that are supposed to bring people together.
Inclusion doesn't always require big changes. Sometimes, offering one additional option is enough to make someone feel considered.
Looking for Halloween treats suitable for different dietary needs?
Thankfully, there are brands offering free-from alternatives to traditional sweets and chocolate.
Here are five worth exploring when preparing for Halloween.
Creative Nature specialises in free-from snacks, baking mixes and treats, with a strong focus on people managing food allergies.
Their snack bars and other individually packaged products are worth exploring if you're looking for alternatives to traditional Halloween sweets.
Explore: Creative Nature
For chocolate lovers, NOMO offers a range of vegan and free-from chocolate products.
Their chocolate bars and seasonal treats can be worth considering for people avoiding milk, although individual product suitability and allergen information should always be checked.
Explore: NOMO
Moo Free produces dairy-free chocolate and has offered Halloween-themed products, including its Spooky Chums range.
Its specialist free-from focus makes it another brand worth investigating for Halloween, particularly when managing multiple dietary requirements.
Explore: Moo Free
If you're looking for something different from chocolate, Freedom Confectionery offers vegan marshmallows and other sweet treats.
Their marshmallow products can be a fun addition to Halloween parties, spooky hot chocolates or seasonal baking.
Explore: Freedom Confectionery
Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without some familiar sweets!
Swizzels offers a variety of individually wrapped confectionery and seasonal treat mixes.
Some products may accommodate certain dietary requirements, but suitability varies across the range, so always check the specific ingredients and allergen information.
Explore: Swizzels
Important: These brands are suggestions to explore, not a list of products guaranteed to be free from all 14 UK-regulated allergens. Allergen claims, ingredients and manufacturing practices vary between products and may change. Always check current packaging, precautionary allergen information and individual suitability before purchasing or consuming anything.
One of the easiest ways to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project is to offer a selection of non-food treats.
These don't need to be expensive or elaborate!
Some ideas include:
Remember to choose age-appropriate items, avoid choking hazards for younger children and consider potential allergens in non-food products.
You could even create two separate bowls, one containing traditional sweets and another with non-food alternatives.
That way, children can choose something suitable without having to explain their dietary requirements.
Whether you're hosting a children's Halloween party, organising a school event or inviting friends over, a little preparation can go a long way.
Ask about dietary requirements in advance.
Rather than making assumptions, ask guests or parents whether there are any food allergies, intolerances or dietary needs you should be aware of.
Keep ingredient information available.
If you're serving packaged products, retain the original packaging so guests can check the ingredients themselves.
For homemade food, make sure you know exactly what has been used and how it was prepared.
Consider cross-contact.
Keep suitable foods separate where necessary, use clean utensils and preparation surfaces, and avoid mixing serving equipment between dishes.
Offer a variety of options.
Consider gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or other suitable alternatives depending on your guests' individual requirements.
Remember that labels such as vegan or dairy-free do not automatically guarantee suitability for someone with a food allergy.
Make activities about more than food.
Pumpkin decorating, costume competitions, Halloween crafts and spooky games are all ways to make celebrations enjoyable without placing food at the centre of everything.
Finding suitable Halloween sweets and snacks can involve checking a lot of ingredient lists, particularly when you're shopping for several people with different dietary needs.
That's one of the reasons we created Freeater Shopping!
Available within the Freeater app, our Shopping feature allows you to scan product barcodes and check ingredient information against your personalised dietary profile.
Whether you're navigating food allergies, coeliac disease, intolerances or multiple dietary requirements, Freeater Shopping is designed to provide an additional helping hand when exploring food products.
Since launching the feature, we've seen hundreds of product scans, with users successfully identifying products that may be suitable for their individual needs.
Of course, no app should replace your own checks.
Always read the product packaging, ingredients and allergen information yourself before consuming or sharing food. If suitability is uncertain, do not rely on the scan result alone.
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A teal pumpkin displayed outside a home indicates that non-food treats are available for trick-or-treaters. It is part of the Teal Pumpkin Project, which promotes inclusion for children with food allergies and other dietary needs.
Yes! Children with coeliac disease can enjoy Halloween activities, including trick-or-treating. However, collected sweets should be checked for gluten and suitability before eating. Non-food treats can also provide an inclusive alternative.
Some Halloween sweets may be suitable for a gluten-free diet, while others contain gluten or present cross-contact concerns. Always check the specific product's packaging and labelling, including seasonal and miniature versions.
Not necessarily. Vegan products are not automatically suitable for people with milk allergies, as allergen cross-contact may still occur. Always check the allergen information and any precautionary statements.
Offer non-food treats, display a teal pumpkin or sign, keep food and non-food items separate, and allow children to choose without needing to disclose personal dietary information.
Halloween should be about fun, creativity and making memories, not worrying about whether there's something suitable to eat.
Whether it's displaying a teal pumpkin, checking ingredients more carefully, offering non-food alternatives or simply asking someone about their dietary requirements, small actions can make a meaningful difference.
At Freeater, we believe everyone deserves to feel included, whatever their dietary needs.
This Halloween, let's help make sure nobody misses out on the fun.
Eat with confidence. 💚
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