Understanding Celiac Disease and Candy: A parent's Halloween guide

When you're a kid, one of the things you look forward to every year is trick-or-treating. Along with that comes the chance to be someone you aren’t for a day while collecting enough candy to put you in a sugar coma — creating moments that last a lifetime.

However, for some kids, their ability to participate in this Halloween tradition is impacted by celiac disease. Here’s some information about the disease and which candies are safe and unsafe for children with the condition.

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder triggered by consuming gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye. If ingested, gluten can damage the intestinal lining, leading to numerous digestive issues.

With more children beginning to develop the condition, parents must become more aware of how it affects them. They also need to know what candies are safe for consumption as their kids go out with their bags seeking sugar.

Safe vs unsafe

When it does come down to officially determining what candy is safe and unsafe for your child with celiac disease, here are a few that are gluten-free as well as ones that should be avoided. If you want a more comprehensive list, visit this website.

A list of a few candies that contain gluten:

• Twizzlers
• Kit Kat
• Whoppers
• Milky Way
• Butterfinger

A list of a few candies that are gluten-free:

• Brach's Candy Corn
• Skittles
• Starbursts
• York Peppermint Patties
• Mike and Ike
• Surf Sweets Gummy Worms
• Smarties
• Tootsie Rolls

Although some popular chocolate candies contain gluten, it’s nice to know your child still has plenty of safe treats to enjoy from their haul.

Here’s to a fun, safe night of trick-or-treating this Halloween — and best of luck to all the kids on the hunt for the coveted king-size candies!