I am SO excited to announce that LARABAR MINIs are now available for sale!

They’re perfect for Halloween and, in fact, are part of the inspiration behind the Green Halloween initiative.

My kids and their friends have always LOVED the taste (trick-or-treaters do too). I love them because they are made of whole, real, nutritious foods such as dates, nuts and fruits. Something for everyone.

And they have flavors for everyone, too.

My older daughter goes wild over Cinnamon Roll. My younger one, Ginger Snap. Hubby goes bananas over Banana Bread.

Me? I could practically live on Peanut Butter Cookie.

Haven’t tried LARABAR yet? Locate a Green Halloween event near you. Many will be giving away free LARABAR samples.

Are you a LARABAR fan? What’s your favorite flavor? Add your comment below.

For the 2.2 million kids (and growing) who have food allergies, Halloween traditionally presents a cauldron of concerns.

Exposure and ingestion of foods that trigger allergic reactions may cause severe physiological reactions – even death – so many parents of food allergic (and food-sensitive) children work hard to create non-food based Halloween traditions for their kids.

With the epidemic of food allergic and food sensitive children in America, it may be time to lean heavily towards handing out goodies that are “treasures.” Shiny stones, (recycled) spining tops and handmade friendship bracelets are treats all children can enjoy – whether they suffer from food allergies (or other health issues such as diabetes and obesity) or not.

Another idea is to hand out candy that is less likely to be allergenic, such as the confections from www.divvies.com or www.amandasown.com, which are not made in facilities processing wheat, peanuts, milk or eggs.

And yet another option is to allow trick-or-treating, but afterwards have a “swap.” (Health-conscious parents may want to do the same.)

Swapping is simple: allow your child to trade some candy for a few pre-purchased or made treat or treasure items that won’t cause a problem. If you’d like, you can then invite the Halloween Fairy/Sugar Sprite/Great Pumpkin/ or Candy Witch to your home to take the rest of the loot – leaving another treasure behind (see previous posts here and here for more on this tradition).

How do you handle Halloween and other food-focused occasions?