Choose Easter Candies With Health of Kids and Pets In Mind

Spring is here, and many families are looking forward to the fun of Easter baskets. This holiday is a great excuse to fill your home with bright and cheerful colors and of course, plenty of candy in each child's Easter basket. Easter is the second candy-selling holiday of the year, behind Halloween. Surrounding this holiday, 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans are made, according to WHIO Dayton (http://www.whiotv.com/easter-passover/4213396/detail.html).

However, while colorful Easter eggs, gooey marshmallow chicks, and pretty wrapped chocolates are certainly appealing, some Easter goodies can pose hazards. Marshmallows and jelly beans can pose a choking hazard for small children. Cookies or a large chocolate bunny might be a better basket-stuffer for your toddlers.

On the other hand, for those with peanut allergies, it's best to avoid any Easter chocolates. Many chocolate products contain trace amounts of peanuts. Worse, many are not marked with such a warning, making it difficult to avoid traces of peanuts.

Keep children with food allergies safe by scrutinizing any treats they may receive on Easter as well as Christmas, Halloween, and other occasions. If your child has severe food allergies, consider homemade cookies and candies that you've made yourself to avoid any traces of their allergen, or purchase your holiday sweets from a company specializing in allergen-free products.

Do you have any holiday candy tips to share?