This Halloween something really magical is happening. People are putting teal pumpkins on their porch. What’s the big deal you might ask? These teal pumpkins are more than just a bright color that will catch passersby attention. They represent people worldwide who are joining the Teal Pumpkin Project created by Food Allergies Research & Education (FARE). This project was created to raise awareness of food allergies and to create a safer and happier Halloween for children with food allergies.

According to FARE, 1 in 13 children have a food allergy and 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies every year. We personally know that food allergies are common even among our Fort Worth community. Many of our personal chef and artisan menu clients live with food allergies and have to make major diet adjustments. When Halloween comes along, kids can feel left out because a lot of Halloween candy has nuts, wheat, egg, soy, food coloring and cross contamination from manufacturing. The mini candies in particular don’t have all of the same ingredients as the regular-sized ones and they don’t always have ingredient labels on them. This makes it especially difficult for parents to know if it’s safe for their kids to eat. No one wants their kid accidentally eating the wrong candy from their bucket and having to spend Halloween in the E.R.!

A teal pumpkin outside your door means that you are pledging to provide non-candy treats to trick or treaters. Instead of candy, you can offer glow sticks, little toys, stickers and other non-food treats. It’s that simple! You can even place this free printable sign next to your teal pumpkin to tell people what it means. Being a part of the Teal Pumpkin Project doesn’t mean you can’t offer candy this Halloween, but it just means that you offer other options so that kids with food allergies aren’t left out.

We just really love this idea and wonder why we hadn’t thought of it ourselves! Last year all 50 states participated in this food allergy initiative including 14 countries. Are you joining the Teal Pumpkin Project this Halloween?

Want to stay up to date on the latest healthy trends and eating? CLICK HERE