Monday, April 2, 2012

Food Allergy-Friendly Supermarket Easter Candy Finds

Easter is this Sunday and for those of you who are looking for allergy-friendly candy, you'll be glad to know that there are more choices in stores than I've seen in past years. For this post, I've chosen only to feature the candies marked as 100% nut-free and allergy-friendly for many food allergies, just because right now there isn't a lot of time to second-guess manufacturing processes, etc. And luckily, for the following candies, we don't have to. Plus, the following candies are all gluten-free.

First up, one of my favorite gummy candies is Surf Sweets (pictured). Free of GMOs, organic, and free of the top 8 food allergens. You can find these at Whole Foods and other specialty food stores. Go to their web site to find stores. My kids clamor for these--they are really tasty! Adults love them, too.

While you are at Whole Foods, go to the candy bar aisle and pick up Boom Choco Boom Bars from Enjoy Life Foods for the chocolate lovers on your list. This is dairy-free, nut-free chocolate that tastes great AND is it free of the top 8 allergens. The candy is made in a dedicated, free-from facility.

What would Easter be without jelly beans? Recently, we featured Gimbal's jelly beans in Allergic Living magazine and I am a huge fan! You can find them at Wal-Mart and some other supermarkets. Fun, colorful, tasty and free of the top 8 allergens, these are made with natural ingredients and come in 41 delicious flavors.

Divvies nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free (and gluten-free) candies are another Easter staple and best of all, they are now available in select supermarkets and specialty food stores including Wegman's. Go to the Divvies web site for a store locator; you can also order online. You can find so many good things at Divvies including chocolate bunnies and rock candy.

Finally, if you are still poking around Whole Foods, don't miss Yummy Earth organic gummy candies and lollipops. These are free of high-fructose corn syrup and free of the top 8 allergens. Right now, Whole Foods has mini packs of the gummy bears (at our store, they were on sale this past weekend!), perfect for the Easter basket.

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