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Almost everyone is thrilled when the Easter candy starts rolling into stores -- everyone except people with peanut allergies (and their parents). For these folks the Easter basket is a receptacle of anaphylactic shock waiting to happen. So many classic candies are made in a factory that processes nuts. It's kind of a bummer! What's a candy lover with nut and other allergies supposed to do? Well, the good news is it's entirely possible to build an allergen-free Easter basket. You just have to be a little more creative and a whole lot more careful. Here are a few tips.
1. Don't do candy at all: Veronica LaFemina of Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) recommends looking beyond candy for Easter baskets. “Easter- or spring-themed items like books, toys, stickers, or crafts can be a great way to create a fun-filled basket for a child with food allergies." Kids With Food Allergies has a great list of non-edible Easter basket gifts.
2. Find nut-free treats: Okay, fine. Maybe you find that idea a bummer. The Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board has a recently updated list of peanut- and tree-nut-free candy. Just remember to check each and every label, regardless. And, LaFemina cautions, if you're buying for a child (not your own), check with their parents before adding those food items.
3. Beware of the Easter versions: Even if the "regular" version of the candy is nut-free, the Easter version may not be, so beware of that as well. "Keep in mind that the holiday versions of some treats can have different ingredients or warnings than their regular counterparts," LaFemina says.
4. Make your own Easter treats: How about some rice krispie eggs? And here's a list of 50 homemade Easter candy recipes -- many of which are nut-free.
How do you handle food allergies and holiday candy?
Image via Meagan Tintari/Flickr
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