Halloween Food for Babies & Toddlers

Eat before trick-or-treating. Serve a favorite meal before heading out. This way, baby feels content, and your toddler is less likely to try to eat while on the go. 

Take photos early! Snap a pic before you go when kids are happy (and clean!) For an excited toddler who just can’t stay still, pause for a pic after visiting a house or two. 

Do not eat treats on the go. Eat treats at home, not while trick or treating. Eating while walking, running, jumping, and moving increases the risk of choking. 

Watch out for choking hazards. Avoid sharing candy with babies, and sort through your toddler’s stash before they dig in. Many treats are challenging to chew and contain choking hazards like nuts. 

Be mindful of food allergens. Read the labels: many candies contain common food allergens like cow’s milk, egg, peanut, sesame, soy, tree nuts, or wheat. 

Enjoy the sweet treats. One day with lots of sugar is not a big deal in the long run. Have fun, enjoy the food, and know you are creating joyful memories. 

Manage your expectations. Your schedule may be off. Bedtime may be later. Boundaries will definitely be pushed. Try to focus on fun, and let the rest slide.

Candy Corn

Caramel Apple Pop

Chocolate-Covered Raisins

Dots 

Gobstoppers

Gum Balls

Gummy Bears

Gummy Worms

Haribo Gummies

Hot Tamales

Laffy Taffy

Lemonheads

Licorice Bites

LifeSaver Gummies

LifeSavers Hard Candy

LifeSavers Mints

Lollipops

Marshmallows

M&M’S (peanut) 

M&M’S (plain) 

Mike & Ike Original Fruit

Milk Duds

Nerds Gummy Clusters

Nerds Rope

Pez

Raisinets

Skittles

Sour Patch Kids

Starburst

Sweet Tarts

Tootsie Roll

Tootsie Roll Pops

Twizzler Bites & Nibs

Whoppers

100 Grand Bar

Butterfinger

Licorice Laces

Licorice Straws

Nerds

Snickers 

3 Musketeers Bar

Crunch Bar

Hershey's Milk Chocolate

Kit Kat Bar

Milky Way Bar

Pop Rocks

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Twix

Always read the labels. Ingredients change, and “fun size” candy often has different ingredients than larger versions. Read the fine print before offering candy to a toddler with food allergies.

Plan in advance. Before a Halloween party at daycare, school, or a friend’s house, notify the host of a child’s food allergies. 

Look for a teal pumpkin. When you see one on a doorstep or windowsill, the house may be participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, a trick-or-treating initiative for kids with food allergies.

Bring candy with you. Keep a stash of allergen-free candy or non-food treats in your bag when trick-or-treating. This way, you can place treats in a toddler’s bag as you go from door to door.

Practice saying no. Teach a toddler how to politely say “no, thank you” when offered candy and food. 

Stock up on candy at home. After trick-or-treating, swap out candy with food allergens for allergen-free treats that a toddler with food allergies can eat.

Check the ingredients in chocolate bars. They often contain dairy, peanut, tree nuts, and wheat.

Avoid candy with no labels. Some candy comes in clear wrappers without any ingredient information. This is best discarded or passed along to a non-allergic friend. 

Be prepared to respond. Keep prescribed allergy medicines on hand, such as an epinephrine device, antihistamines, and inhalers.