Candy Archives • D-Mom Blog

October 24, 2021 by Leighann

Don’t Get Spooked…Tips for Navigating Halloween With Type 1 Diabetes or Food Allergies

Don’t get spooked just thinking about Halloween. Your kid with diabetes (and/or food allergies) can definitely haunt the neighborhood and indulge in treats. Join me, leading up to Halloween, as I share some ideas and experiences with All Hallow’s Eve.

Image: Pixabay

Non-Candy Treats

Of course, kids with diabetes can eat candy, but not every parent wants their children eating a ton of it. So for parents looking for some alternatives for class parties, to hand out to trick-or-treaters, or to swap out for some of your child’s giant stash, here are some non-candy ideas that my kids have liked. Read 15+ Non-Candy Ideas for Trick-or-Treating and Halloween Parties.

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Candy Carb Counting

Here’s a printable candy carb count list from the ADA with many Halloween faves.

Low Blood Sugars

And don’t throw out all that candy, save the high sugar candies such as Smarties and Skittles for treating low blood sugar. Did you know that Smarties and glucose tabs have the same first ingredient dextrose?

Craft Projects

Did you rise to the challenge of making Halloween decorations with your used OmniPods or other medical waste? Read how you can make Spooky sPODers and PUMP-kins.

And here’s a Halloween craft tutorial for cute ghosts, bats, and Frankenstein over at Disney’sT1 Everyday Magic website. I had a lot of fun making these!

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Celiac Disease and Food Allergies

“Every child should be able to experience the joy and tradition of trick-or-treating on Halloween. But kids with food allergies are often left out of the fun since most candy is off limits.” Read why I support the Teal Pumpkin Project.

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Happy Haunting!

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(Updated 10/21.)

October 24, 2021 by Leighann

Candy: Forbidden Fruit or Good Hypoglycemia Treatment?

Summary: Is sugary candy like Smarties or Skittles an alternative to juice or glucose tabs for treating low blood sugar in children with type 1 diabetes?

When our child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we stocked up with juice boxes, glucose tabs, cake icing gel, and of course glucagon.

We almost always reach for a juice box when we needed to treat a low.

But then last Halloween during our trick-or-treating excursion, which included both excitement and lots and lots of walking and running, Q went low. He asked if he could have some candy and I reached into his heavy pumpkin-shaped bag and found a treat I thought might be acceptable.

Mind you, though I can name serving sizes and carb counts of hundreds of items in my sleep, I don’t know the carb counts of candies.

Later that night when I sorted through his stash of goodies, I pulled out many items which were high in sugar content and seemed like they would be fast-acting. (Chocolate is usually not recommended to treat lows because the fat content makes it a slower-acting carb.)

I realized that Smarties have basically the same ingredients as glucose tabs, dextrose being the first ingredient. During the next trip to the pharmacy, no doubt to refill one of our many prescriptions, I compared Smarties and glucose tabs side by side. I decided that you get more bang for your buck with Smarties and a whole lot more fun. (One roll of Smarties has 6 grams of carbs.)

Image: Smarties

(Tip: make sure kids wash their hands before rechecking in 15 minutes. We’ve gotten some crazy high numbers that were a result of Smarties dust on his fingertips.)

So here’s the conundrum: We spend so much time trying to avoid high sugar items for our type 1 kids, yet they need sugar to treat lows.

Do we let them have a little bit of fun by allowing them candy for lows since they can’t eat it freely at other times?

Or should we stick to healthier choices such as juice (which I never had in my house before diagnosis)?

Seeing a number in the 60s on the meter, my kiddo once exclaimed with delight, “Yesss! I can have some candy!”

By treating lows with candy are we sending the wrong message encouraging kids to want to go low in order to eat forbidden candy fruit?

After dealing with diabetes for over a decade, we now use a variety of high sugar, fast-acting carbs to treat lows. And this includes candy!

(Updated 10/21.)

December 15, 2018 by Leighann

Winter Holidays With Diabetes

Here are some tips for celebrating winter holidays, such as Christmas and Hanukkah, when your child has type 1 diabetes, including non-candy stocking stuffers, carb counting for candy, and gift ideas for T1D kids and the school nurse.

Image: Pixabay

The holidays can be daunting, especially for parents of children recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. You may think that you need to change some of your traditions, especially if they are food-based. The reality is that you can make almost anything work.

You just got through Halloween and Thanksgiving. Maybe things went smoothly; maybe you learned a thing or two.

Here are some posts that I have written that I think will be particularly useful for newly diagnosed and veteran diabetes families alike.

Stocking Stuffers and Gift Ideas

Don’t forget to thank the school nurse or other staff who care for your child when you are purchasing holiday gifts for teachers. Read 10 Holiday Gift Ideas For School Nurses.

I always find holiday candy in our pantry months later that has gone uneaten. I’m sure at Valentine’s Day there will still be some leftover Christmas candy. Many parents (and this has nothing to do with diabetes!) are reducing the amount of candy they give their kids and substituting non-candy items. Read 30+ Non-Candy Stocking Stuffer Ideas.

Teens aren’t too old for holiday traditions and stockings stuffed with goodies. Read Non-Candy Stocking Stuffers…for teens!

Got a busted pancreas? How about a new stuffed one. Need a way to carry supplies? How about a cute bag. Here are some gift ideas for kids with diabetes. Read Holiday Gifts For Kids With Type 1 Diabetes.

Holiday Decorating

Why not deck the halls with ornaments made from diabetes supplies such as used pods? We’ve been hanging these ornaments on our tree year after year. Read Holiday Decorating With Medical Waste.

We had so much fun creating these crafts for T1 Everyday Magic. Take a look at the tutorials for making reindeer ornaments and a wreath using diabetes supplies. Read Turn Your Diabetes Trash Into Holiday Treasures on the T1 Everyday magic website.

Image: Pixabay

Carb Counting and Christmas Candy

Much of the food served at Christmas and other winter holiday celebrations is the same as that served at Thanksgiving. Here is a list of carbs counts. Read Carb Counting At Thanksgiving.