Teal Pumpkin Project

Have you seen a teal pumpkin and wondered why? The Teal Pumpkin Project is to raise awareness of people living with food allergies and food restrictions. Celiac disease and gluten disorders fall into that category. If you have kids, or give out candy at Halloween, you need to know about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Parents and teachers know Halloween is a big deal. Kids love the holiday and families put a lot of effort into costumes, decorations, parties and food. For some families this means getting into the joy of creating spooky homemade Halloween treats.

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project

How To Buy Safe Gluten Free Candy

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.

If you're not going to click through the most important point is that the Halloween size treats do not always have the same ingredients as the regular size bars. Something you know is safe in the regular size, may not be in the "fun size." Check the ingredient label every time.

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

That's why we need these safe candy lists.

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

If the Teal Pumpkin Project is new to you 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.

I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and took them to work with a mini teal pumpkin. This started a lively conversation about food allergy awareness and I was surprised some of my colleagues didn't know about it.

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month

Watch for the teal theme in May too. May is the month designated as 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 restrrictions.

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.
• Turn It Teal
• 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. Every October I bring out my spray painted teal pumpkins and do my part to spread awareness.

Here are two other posts I wrote to support kids with celiac disease at school.

• Food Allergy Club at School
• Back To School with Celiac Disease

Let me know in the comments below how your family manages Halloween. I'd love to add your ideas to this list to share with others.