Don’t be worried about catering to food allergies on Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner, and with that comes the annual tradition of trick-or-treating.

This nightly stroll is a staple of many childhoods, but for some, it’s not as easy as a knock on a door for a handful of candy.

For those who suffer from food allergies, Halloween can be very stressful, having to decipher nutrition labels and possibly wasting food and money.

In 2014, the Food Allergy Research and Education organization created the Teal Pumpkin Project. Houses that display a teal pumpkin in front of their property choose to give away non-food items on Halloween. The movement is already making an impression by being recognized in all 50 states and seven countries in its first year alone.

While the idea is respectable, don’t feel obligated to follow these strict guidelines.

Not choosing to offer an alternative for children with allergies can seem heartless to some, but catering to the minority is not going to benefit the majority. This idea is similar to the food policies schools nationwide try to implement.

In my school days, peanuts were strictly off-limits, but increased awareness of wheat, soy and milk allergies makes the attempt to control every morsel of food virtually impossible. The minute kids step outside of a food-controlled environment, they must learn to adapt to the real world, where it’s the child’s responsibility to avoid their trigger foods.

We aren’t helping them develop this crucial skill by banning entire food groups for the entire student population.

To follow the guidelines for the Teal Pumpkin Project, any household who chooses to participate must give out non-food items.

These gifts may include small toys, erasers or plastic jewelry. Depending on what you choose and the foot traffic of your neighborhood, finding enough of these items and on a reasonable budget is daunting.

Some may even choose to offer both candy and toys, creating more stress for the giving family. Halloween should be a time for fun, not worrying about offending children and their families who should know their own limitations.

If you’re still hesitant about sending your child trick-or-treating, there are plenty of fun Halloween activities you can do instead.

Host or go to a costume party. Watch a marathon of classic Halloween movies. Go pick some pumpkins and carve them. Make some sweet treats that you trust follow your child’s dietary restrictions.

If you still want to go trick-or-treating, use it as a teaching moment for your child so they listen to their body’s signals and become aware of the diversity of options available, whether they involve food or not. Even families who don’t display a teal pumpkin will surely be respectful of the child’s limitations.

More than 100,000 families across the country have taken the pledge to join the Teal Pumpkin Project and you can, too.

Should you feel pressured to make accommodations for food allergy sufferers if you don’t want to? No. And that choice shouldn’t make you feel guilty.

I respect the people who must learn to navigate everyday situations with a food allergy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they always need special treatment.

In a country striving for equality for all and freedom of choice, let’s start practicing this attitude at a young age on a night full of imaginative excitement.