According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), approximately 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, with one in 13 children under 18 affected. Between 1997 and 2011, there was a 50% increase in food allergies. It’s not known why, but food allergies have been on the rise in a big way (my personal theory involves the increased prevalence of synthetic additives in our food), with kids and teens being particularly vulnerable to potentially life-threatening reactions.

So a Tennessee mom named Becky Basalone had an idea: What if Halloween could be made a little less tricky for kids with food allergies?

Her idea became what is now the Teal Pumpkin Project, a nationwide effort to encourage families — whether their own kids have food restrictions or not —  to offer up some non-food treats on Oct. 31. Participation is simple: You just put a teal-colored pumpkin or sign outside your door and offer trick-or-treaters glow sticks, spider rings, Halloween stickers or other non-food goodies, along with or instead of the traditional candies.

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a non-profit advocacy group, first promoted the idea nationwide, with the help of a viral Facebook post, says Nancy Gregory, senior director of communications. About 1 million people visited the group’s website to get information, and about 10,000 of them — probably a fraction of participants —  put their homes on an interactive map showing teal pumpkin sites, she says.

This year, the group is thinking bigger, Gregory says: “Our goal is to have a home on every block in America with a teal pumpkin. We hope that it becomes a new Halloween tradition.”

And it’s not just kids with allergies who benefit when food-free treats are available. So do kids with diabetes and those with gluten sensitivity and other food intolerances, says Ohlmeyer, who is a registered dietitian.

An extra bonus: When offered non-food treats at Halloween and other occasions, kids without any such issues also might consume less sugar.

But Natalie Wilensky of Chevy Chase Village, Md., says the main reason she puts out a teal pumpkin —  and thinks of children with food restrictions when she bakes a birthday cake or takes a treat to school —  is to teach her unaffected son Jacob, 7, to think of others.

“I want to teach him kindness and empathy and compassion for other kids,” she says.

Tracy Amin of Seattle also wanted to build empathy in her children when she hosted a teal-pumpkin painting party and promoted the idea in her neighborhood last year. This year, daughter Preston, 7, and son Tanner, 4, who have no food restrictions, offered to make finger puppets to give out to trick-or-treaters.

“They are really taking it upon themselves to help other kids, Amin says.

Want to participate? Here’s how:

• Paint or buy a teal pumpkin and put it where trick-or-treaters can see it.  Or just put out a sign (free downloadable versions are at FARE’s website).

• Get some non-food treats. Suggestions from FARE include: glow sticks, bracelets and necklaces; whistles, kazoos and noisemakers; bubbles; vampire fangs; playing cards and bookmarks.

• If you choose to give out candy, too, put it in a separate bowl. Offer both options to all trick-or-treaters —  and do not be surprised if children with no food restrictions take some of the non-food items, previous participants say.

sources https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/ / allergylifestyle