How to handle Halloween as a Plant-Based Family

I’ve gotten a bunch of questions about how we handle Halloween and all the candy with Baby V, so I put together a quick post about my strategies for dealing with this extremely food-focused day. Honestly, it’s probably the most difficult day of the year to be a plant-based family, right?

Last Halloween when we were a family of deer and Baby L was in my belly

Ok, so I do have a few tricks of up my sleeve to keep it a fun experience for everyone. Most of it also applies to birthday parties and everyday life as well so hopefully you’ll find it helpful beyond this one day!

Don’t use negative language like “bad”, “unhealthy”, “yucky” or “can’t have” when talking about non-vegan treats. We want to keep food neutral so our kids can learn to eat intuitively and not have negative emotions wrapped up with food. I go into much further detail about this in Colorful Kids- join the waitlist now!
Instead, say something like, “That candy isn’t vegan, and we choose to only eat vegan candy because XYZ.” At age 3 Baby V is onboard with the simple idea that we’re vegan because we don’t want to hurt animals and we love our planet. Our conversation is constantly shifting as she gets older and understands more and more, so meet your kids wherever they’re at with this.
Have a TON of exciting vegan candy ready for your little on instead! Some of our favorites Unreal (anything they make!), Wholesome gummy fish , YumEarth lollipops, plus Baby V still thinks dried fruit and fruit strips are the most amazing thing ever so I have a bunch of those lined up too.
Don’t skip the parties! Have your little one help you make a batch of cupcakes, cookies or candies with you and let them go crazy with the icing and sprinkles. They’ll feel proud of their work and want to share with their friends. Scroll down for a bunch of recipes!
Be the Switch Witch! Let them know ahead of time that if they get any non-vegan candy while they are trick or treating they shouldn’t worry because the Switch Witch will come and switch it out with vegan candy while they are sleeping. Spoiler alert- you are the switch witch so get your booty to the grocery store today and stock up on vegan candy before it’s gone!
Chill out! Seriously, don’t sweat it if your little one accidentally or not-so-accidentally eats something that isn’t vegan. It’s not about being “perfect” 100% of the time, it’s about all of us doing our personal best.