Halloween is a lot of fun. My kids can’t wait for a chance to dress up in a costume!

However, Halloween can be a nightmare for parents of food allergic kids. As recent recalls remind us, even companies who are generally “trustworthy” can have a sudden incident or contamination with undeclared food allergens.

Which brings us to Halloween, because everyone knows it’s as much about the candy as it is about the costume.

While you can control what you buy at home, you cannot control what even the best informed neighbor buys. Also, those who do not have an experience with allergies simply don’t think about what’s in their food! The vast majority of non-allergic consumers simply buy something – and eat it.

So, how can you handle Halloween in a way that allows your kid to have fun – but doesn’t put their health or their lives at risk?

One great idea I heard recently was to let your kid head out on the trick-or-treat trail, and then agree to replace whatever they bring home with candies and treats that you know are “safe”. Many of us have been doing a version of this for years: Halloween night is spent picking through your kid’s candy, sorting and tossing.

But what if you didn’t even have to do that?

That’s where the replace approach comes in. Your child comes home with a big bag of candy. You check out how much they have. Then, you donate it to charity: often local churches will take candies and distribute them, sometimes even shipping them overseas. Your child’s haul on Halloween night becomes a true gift for a poor child who never sees a piece of candy all year long!

Not only do you teach your children about the value of giving – you ensure that they are eating something that they can eat! This allows you to go out and get a stash of the right things, so that your child doesn’t feel deprived.

I love this idea, because it’s a winner all around! Your child gets to trick-or-treat; you get to know they are safe and eating what is good for them; a poor child has a chance at a treat that they’d never usually have.

Check out in your local area for churches that are sending non-perishable Halloween candy (think hard candies and items that are not temperature sensitive) to poor children around the world. Donate perishable items to local community shelters. And enjoy this Halloween with your allergic child!