Teal Pumpkin Project

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

The Teal Pumpkin Project was started by a mom of children with food allergies. Frustrated that they couldn’t eat the candy they worked hard to collect on Halloween night she came up with this idea.

Display a teal pumpkin on your doorstep for Halloween to let trick-or-treaters know you are handing out allergy-friendly or non-food treats. The project has been successful and once it's on your radar you will see teal coloured pumpkins everywhere.

Her name is Becky Basalone and you can learn more about it in this article, Meet The Mom Who Founded the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Allergy-Friendly and Safe Gluten Free Candy Lists

The social aspect of living with food restrictions is often the most difficult and Halloween is no exception. With so many changes to food labeling laws and food manufacturing, the community has stepped up to help.

Each year Celiac Canada publishes a Gluten Free Halloween Candy List. Allergic Living, another credible source, publishes Allergy-Friendly Halloween Candy & Treats List. If you have gluten free kids you need to bookmark both of these websites and keep up on the changes every year.

BUYER BEWARE: Halloween size treats do not always have the same ingredients as the regular size bars. Or they are manufactured in different facilities so may have been in contact with wheat. What you know is safe in the regular size, may not be in the "fun size." That's why there are new safe candy lists every year.

To further complicate this, there are differences between what is gluten free in Canada compared to what is gluten free in the U.S.

Non-Food Treat Ideas for Halloween

There are plenty of non-food treat ideas. The American Food Allergy Research & Education group, F.A.R.E., posted this list of non-food ideas to give out at the door.

• Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces.
• Pencils, pens, crayons or markers.
• Bubbles.
• Halloween erasers or pencil toppers.
• Mini slinkies.
• Whistles, kazoos, or noisemakers.
• Bouncy balls.
• Finger puppets or novelty toys.

Rethinking Food and Holidays

Savvy celiacs and food allergy parents have come up with many ways to rethink food and holidays. Learn from others, find the balance and do what works for you.

• Host your own Halloween themed Cookie Decorating Party before all the parties where disappointment is sure to happen. Buy the spooky cookie cutters, learn to make delicious gluten free cookies and get the safe candy.
• Be realistic. We've had lots of fun decorating store bought cookies, making marshmallow pop monsters and more. In this post, Homemade Halloween Treats, I share what we made in a one-hour online class for kids.
• Learn to reframe disappointment. Not eating at these parties is easy for some kids since they don't want to get sick. Knowing they can have safe treats at home helps.
• Look for dentists who buy-back unwanted candy for money or prizes. Follow the Switch Witch to find out if this idea happens in your area.
• "Homemade is always better" or "baking is fun." Listen to what you say about cooking, baking and living gluten free. The world would have us think we don't have time to cook, cooking is a chore and eating gluten free is horrible. I guarantee you I know many adults and kids who are rocking the gluten free life! They're healthier than ever, the know what's in the food they eat and they know how to cook.

Raise Awareness of Food Allergies

The Teal Pumpkin Project is still new for many people so join in and help raise awareness.

• Send a tiny teal pumpkin to school, take one to work or put one on your doorstep.
• Follow the hashtag #tealpumpkinproject on social media and see what others are doing.
• Take the idea to school and help kids with food restrictions start a Food Allergy Club at School and to learn to advocate.
• Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and present them with a mini teal pumpkin. I took these to work and that sparked a lively conversation about food allergy awareness.

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month

Watch for the teal theme in May too. May is both Celiac Awareness Month and Food Allergy Awareness Month. We know gluten disorders are not an allergy but this is the time these two communities shine together on the topic of living with food restrictions.

Turn it Teal is a program that raises awareness for food allergies by lighting major buildings and landmarks in shades of teal, the official colour of food allergy. Here's a list of organizations involved.

• Food Allergy Canada
• F.A.R.E. and their Living Teal: Teal Pumpkin Project
• Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America have an annual campaign during May for Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
• Learn more about Turn It Teal, maybe do a presentation at school.
• Allergic Living is an excellent resource with credible information about living with food restrictions including celiac disease. You'll see a lot of teal in May.

Support for Celiac Kids

I work with children, I volunteered at school for years and I started the Celiac Kids Meetup here in Calgary many years ago. In September it's Back To School with Celiac Disease and before you know it everyone is talking about pumpkins and Halloween.

Every October I bring out my spray painted teal pumpkins and do my part to spread awareness. Every small thing counts so find something your kids or classroom can get excited about and raise awareness about the reality of living with food restrictions.