Welcome to Week One of the Six Week Challenge to eliminate artificial ingredients from your diet and improve your child’s behavior. Each week we will focus on a specific group of ingredients that are commonly found in food so that you can make the changes in easy, manageable steps. You’ll learn more about what ingredients to avoid, where to find them, and ideas for making better choices. And hopefully each week you’ll see some improvement in behavior, and better health in the long run. For more information about how I began our all natural lifestyle, and why, please read my article on Circle of Moms here.
I want to caution you that you may not see the results you ultimately want until you’ve completed the challenge. There are so many chemicals in food that can affect how children behave, and there are many ways that they can be exposed to them. Until they are all removed you may continue to experience reactions. It’s also important to note that every child is different. Some children are naturally more sensitive to some ingredients than others. What works perfectly for my family may not be exactly the answer for you. Some families need a very strict diet in order to see the results they want, others are happy after just a few changes. I want you to know that I’m here to help you pinpoint ways to get to the result you need, so feel free to ask questions. I’ll be glad to make suggestions and help you make tweaks until you are making the progress you want to see. The important thing is don’t give up. Stick with me, and you may end up just as amazed as I was at the changes you’ll see.
Week One: Artificial Colors and Artificial Flavors
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| photo source: Klubbers via flickr.com |
Artificial colors and flavors are first on the list for a reason. It’s the most important change you will need to make if you want to improve your child’s behavior. Think about how many times you’ve heard someone at a child’s birthday party say “Wow, that sugar is really doing a number on the kids.” It’s not the sugar, it’s the neon blue frosting and multi-colored sprinkles on those cupcakes that are most likely to blame. I noticed a difference right away when I eliminated artificial colors and flavors from my daughter Sophie’s diet.
Why do artificial colors cause such trouble? To put it simply, they’re produced from petroleum. And in addition to the fact that they’re a petroleum product, the FDA also says it’s OK for artificial colors to also contain things like mercury, arsenic, and other known carcinogens. When you begin eliminating artificial colors from your food you may be shocked to see how much of these chemicals your family consumes in a single day. Even if you’re not hoping for a behavior change, you may want to consider eliminating these ingredients from your diet simply for health reasons.
Artificial flavorings are used in processed food because they’re cheaper than using the actual flavor source. A chemical combination that mimics the taste of a strawberry is easier to produce and use than using real strawberries. A single artificial flavor can contain hundreds of chemicals, and the manufacturer isn’t required to tell anyone what those chemicals are. The main thing to know about artificial flavors is this: there is no testing procedure for the FDA to monitor what goes into them. Again, carcinogens are a big concern. Many artificial flavors have been proven to inhibit liver enzymes and thyroid function. Most artificial flavors have never even been tested for neurotoxicity. If something is considered a neurotoxin it means that it damages the nervous system, killing neurons and disrupting the functioning of the brain. (To read more about why this makes me furious, read the story of my Dad’s Primary Progressive Aphasia disease here. I believe this will become a much less rare disease in the future.)
When you search for these ingredients on labels you will have no trouble spotting artificial colors. They are identified by their FD&C numbers (or sometimes just D&C, meaning it’s approved for cosmetic products, not for food) such as Red #40, Yellow #4, etc. Artificial flavors can be tricky. They’re frequently labeled as “artificial flavors”, but not always. An example is the use of Vanillin as an ingredient. This is not to be confused with vanilla. You will find vanillin in many chocolate flavored products, but it shows up in other products as well. It should be avoided, along with anything that says something along the lines of ethylvanillin, dimethyl, maltol, or anything that lists a word you don’t recognize followed by the phrase “used for flavoring”. If you don’t recognize a word on the list of ingredients you should seriously consider if you really want to purchase that product.
Where can you find artificial colors and flavors in foods? Obviously they’re found most commonly in processed foods, such as toaster pastries, cookies, crackers, and snack foods. But you’ll find them in yogurt, milk, frozen french fries, chicken nuggets, pickles, cheese, jelly, peanut butter – I could go on for days… But I want to bring one very important product to your attention regarding the use of artificial colors and flavors: Meat. Most people think that meat is completely safe for an all natural diet. In many cases that’s correct, but you must check those labels. It’s very common to find that the meat in your grocer’s refrigerated case has been “enhanced” with artificial colors and or flavors. If you see anything besides beef, chicken, pork, or the original source of any meat product, you need to be very suspicious. Beef is often enhanced with color to make it look more red, and therefore make you think it’s more fresh. Chicken is often enhanced with artificial flavors as well as preservatives. Another source of unwanted colors and flavorings: toothpaste. Most toothpaste targeted to children is chock full of artificial stuff. When I started this mission I was shocked to find out that the toothpaste my daughter was using two times every single day had artificial colors in it that were not even approved for use in food. She’s five, shouldn’t they assume that she’s going to swallow it? The moral of the story is, if it goes in your mouth or on your skin it should not have artificial colors or flavors in it. It’s important to be vigilant – read every single label, every single time. Manufacturers can change their formulations without notice, so the box of cereal that was fine last week may not be acceptable this week.
Remember, just because a product has the words “All natural” on the front does not mean it’s free from problem causing chemicals. There are ways that this phrase can be manipulated and stretched by manufacturers who want to jump on the healthy bandwagon. There are plenty of naturally occurring chemicals that I don’t consider safe to consume. One example is MSG, which we’ll discuss more next week. MSG is something I try to avoid at all times, but it frequently occurs “naturally” during the manufacturing process. So those products are technically correct in using the all natural label. The same applies to processed foods with the label “organic”. Don’t assume that because it says organic it’s automatically safe when it comes to things like cookies, crackers, and other processed food. I know, frustrating, isn’t it?
So week one – eliminate artificial colors and flavors. Are you ready? Still have questions? Ask away! You can comment below – especially if it’s something you think may be a common question so everyone can benefit from the discussion. Or you can email me at contact.ourfamilyeats at gmail dot com (it’s spelled out to help prevent spam) if you’d like to keep your information private. I’ll share more information, tips, and tricks during the week to help you along the way. Make sure you follow on Facebook so you don’t miss any conversations going on over there. You can also use these posts as resources:
Other resources: the Feingold Association’s research on artificial colors and flavors.
Come back next week for the second step in the Six Week Challenge! Next week we will focus on preservatives, nitrates/nitrites, and MSG. I would caution you to be careful about trying to re-stock your entire pantry based solely on the information you’ve just read regarding artificial colors and flavors. You may find that you’ve inadvertently replaced one problem food with another. Focus on removing the things you already have that contain artificial colors/flavors, and focus on relying on as much non-processed, all natural food as you can until we finish the first few weeks of the Challenge. Then you will have all the information you need to re-stock your kitchen with all your new favorite foods.
Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional. I am simply a Mom who struggled with my child’s behavior to the point of exhaustion until I eliminated the problem-causing chemicals from our diet. I’m simply sharing the information I’ve learned with others who would like to try the same approach.
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Do you have a list of processed products that are your go to's? Do you find that shopping in health food (such as trader joe's) helps or hinders? I went yesterday and felt that a lot of the choices were good, but not everything. Thank you!
This is awesome information. My husband was an original participant of the Feingold study. He is allergic to all artificial food colorings. As a child I was sensitive to red dye. So my children are already living a life free of artificial colors.
One thing we have discovered is that anything labeled "caramel coloring" is made up of artificial colors probably yellow dye 5 and or 6. My DH gets very sick when he eats anything with caramel color on the label. Also if the label has "brown sugar" on it and not "molasses" it is probably artificially colored. We try to avoid anything that has brown sugar and not molasses. I remember we used to eat Life cereal all the time. All of the sudden DH started getting very sick very often. He glanced at the label and they had changed the coloring to have yellow dye #5. It hasn't changed back in years. Thank you for the fabulous information! I am looking forward to the rest of your series. Amanda
I have another one for you…what did you do with the food you cleaned out of your pantry? Now I am taking your advice and not doing a complete overhaul yet, but I found a few "must go's" i.e. fruit snacks. Now I feel terrible tossing unopened boxes, at the same time I don't feel right donating the stuff either. If I don't want my child consuming this stuff, why should others just because their families are going through hard times. Am I overthinking this? I tend to do that.
Okay so I am trying but the first thing I looked at was the cheese that I make my home made macroni and cheese. Well the cheddar cheese I used had "colouring' in it. I was at the store today and bought Black Diamond Motezzella (?sp) that wasn't coloured.
Another thing I noticed when shopping was that the yogurt I usually buy (which I always check is free of aspertame and sucralose) has "natural colour" in it. So I bought plain yogourt and I will try to put fresh fruit on it but I don't think it'll go over as well. We'll have to see.
AJ that is scary that brown sugar has colouring in it. We are from Canada and in looking at Lantic brown sugar bag it doesn't have an ingredients list and says "natural" on it. In looking at the website it tells of the manufacturing process. The process requires "process additivies" to remove impurties and it also mentions "decolorizing" the product. So if it's decolored I'm sure that it would have color added back in although it doesn't mention that. WOW what an eye opener. I always thought that brown sugar was better than white sugar. So what should we use in baking now?
Carrie, I would just give away anything you don't want to a food bank. People who are in dire need don't look at labels most likely.
Hi, we are starting out on your program with high hopes. I have been trying to get a grip on a more natural panty, but sometimes feel so overwhelmed. I am looking forward to doing the program one step/week at a time.
Thank you so much for writing this series. I am pretty good at spotting the coloring (although I didn't know about caramel color!), but as I am going through my pantry tonight, I realized I was not as good at sorting out "flavorings." Obviously if it says enhanced with artificial flavors then it is being thrown out, but what is your opinion on autolyzed yeast extract and torula yeast. It seems both are being used for flavorings in the boxed rice mix I bought? Am I getting ahead of myself in thinking about those two? Thanks for any info/advice.
Hi Carrie, check the Shopping List tab for some of my favorite foods. I shop at both Publix and Whole Foods. Most stores will order specific products if you ask, and my Publix has been really helpful.
About what to do with the old stuff – I look at it this way, if I saw a starving child and the only thing I had to give them was something with artificial colors in it, would I do that? The answer may be different for diffeerent people but for me the answer was yes.
Amanda – thanks for bringing that up. Brown sugar is definitely tricky. You can buy an organic version (check the label) or switch to palm sugar, which is what I did. Very low glycemic index plus lots of nutrients. Not as sweet as brown sugar, but very tasty. So interesting that your husband was one of the first Feingolders!
Heather, yellow cheese is very often colored that way. Cabot makes white cheddar, and they don't use cows treated with rBST. I use Cabot whenever i can't find (or afford) organic. Also, see above about palm sugar. The one I use is listed in my Amazon store for reference. So much healthier than brown sugar. Not quite as sweet, but has great flavor.
Jen, you probably don't want anything that has been autolyzed. Its another way of saying MSG, which most rice mixes have in them from the flavoring. I use brown rice, the ingredient list is only one thing – brown rice
you can then spruce it up with some herbs or homemade chicken stock, etc. It takes getting used to the difference but we now prefer it. My two year old will eat his weight in plain brown rice if I let him. A bonus is that it's super cheap, and you can make a giant batch and freeze what you don't eat. Then you have a quick side dish for a few future meals, or to add to soups or Mexican dishes like burritos.
Thanks for putting this in steps. I hope you continue to put "look for" clues in future posts as I feel so lost when reading labels. I look online but if most of America thinks it is ok to eat this stuff, Googling these ingredients may not give me a true idea of whether it is safe or not. Can't wait for next post!
Hi! I'm really glad I stumbled upon your website and this article. It gives me the strength to continue preparing the meals I do now for my only daughter of 20-months.
You had me nodding all the way till the end of the article!
I had come to know about the side effects of these artifical things we eat when I did a search on the internet last year when my girl was 6 months plus.
My paediatrician had given me a lengthy advice of having to eat all natural and healthy food as far as possible as my child is young. She told me no preservatives, no artificial flavourings, no artificial colourings,
no additives, no msg or any chemicals.
I was dumbfounded and told her it is quite hard to find such food around in the market and what if we eat out?
She simply shrugged and told us it is up to us.
After my research, I was adamant about sticking to find these natural food, natural ingredients, natural products and cooking them.
Oh ya, I'm wondering if I can exchange links with you? I have added yours to my website.
I'm a sahm who blogs about books, tv-free activities and food and recipes for both adults and tots.
My website is new, of only a month plus. I set it up to share my views and what I do with my girl. You can find me at http://www.moremoreplease.com
See you around and look forward to reading more of your articles.
Thank you so much for writing this series! It is something that I have wanted to do for a while but couldn't figure out how. I do have a question, what about TBHQ? I googled it and some of the responses say it is ok and others say no. What is your opinion?
Hi Teresa,
TBHQ is a preservative, and It's covered in Week Two of the six week All Natural Challenge. If you're taking the challenge week by week then you'll get to hear exactly how I feel about TBHQ next week. It's definingely on my list of ingredients to avoid. I'm glad to hear you're doing your own research too!
What about “Vanilla Flavor” in the Horizon Organic Milk boxes? Our “Natural Flavors” listed in the ingredients of the Earth’s Best fruit bars?
KC, Personally I avoid all flavored milk – there’s more sugar and fillers in there than there is milk. As far as “natural flavors”, I’m going to answer by quoting the definition of natural flavors/flavoring from Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations which is:
“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
So it can be pretty much anything that’s approved for use in food. Which can be a scary idea if you stop to think about it. And there is NO way to tell what the manufacturer has included in their natural flavoring because they don’t have to report it. I tell everyone who asks that “natural flavors” is a judgement call you have to make on your own. There are a very few instances where I allow them in moderation, but as a rule I try to avoid them whenever possible.
The link to the article ‘all natural on a budget’ isn’t working – is there another way to get to it? Thanks so much for sharing your research & results!
The link should be working now – thanks for letting me know it was broken.
Several of your links are not working (again?). Great article! I eliminated most red 40 but am now getting him on board to eliminate ALL colors after seeing a great result from just that 1.
Question, often the ingredients I have looked at simply say “natural flavoring”, It does not specify what it is flavored with???? Should I just assume it is not natural if they are not listing specific agents??? THANKS!
I get this question often – natural flavoring is not regulated by any testing agency, which means manufacturers do not have to tell anyone what makes up their “natural flavoring”. It could literally be anything as long as its naturally occurring. (Keep in mind that things like arsenic and MSG are considered naturally occurring.) I’m suspicious of most natural flavoring, and try to limit our intake to only a few carefully chosen products from manufacturers that I trust.
i’m having a hard time opening the links above like the all natural on a budget and the others….. its saying error page not found on your site….
My stepsons have horrific behaviors, they do not listen, they cannot sit still, they jump around everywhere. I though at first it was just something im not used to because i have a daughter and she is nothing like them, but its not that…… People in our family or my husbands mostly, and their mother say that their just boys, but i dont believe thats the case either. I was leaning towards them having ADD for their father has it, the doctor stated that the younger one being 4 had signs of it but cant diagnose him until he’s 5. but i dont just want to throw meds on them either i want to know how to get around all of the obstacles they have and we have as parents. After a weekend away with my daughter on a cheering comp i learned that a friend of mine used your site to go all natural and it has helped her kids tremenously. I saw first hand how they react to foods with dyes and artificial flavoring. This made me want to research more and get an idea of the things i should be putting into my children and the things i shouldnt so that maybe this alone could change my stepkids behaviors. We honestly have tried every type and way of parenting and nothing has worked with them. It is getting to a point where its embarrasing and frustrating when we have them everyother week to go about our daily life and get anything done. I need all the tips i can get at this point!!!
Hi Alicia – so glad you found my site. If you are willing to make the changes, you WILL see results. Just from reading your comment I know your boys will respond well – you sound so much like me a few years ago. I checked the link, it is working when I click it. Here is the link for All Natural on a Budget: http://www.ourfamilyeats.com/2011/08/16/all-natural-on-a-budget/ I will double check the rest of them as well. If you still have trouble let me know – I want to do all I can to help you and your family make these changes! Medication is definitely not the only answer.
Thank you so much, i do hope i see a change, i do believe i will, and ive shown my husband all of the good things from this site and he is ready to change our way of eating too. if you could copy the other links for me that would be very great, for some reson it wont let me just click on them above…. however the copied link above does work, im not sure why lol. Thanks for your time!!
I’m here to help! Send me an email at contact.ourfamilyeats@gmail.com and I’ll send all the links to you.
Hi – I really appreciate how thorough your blog is – thanks! I had a question about annatto… the cheese (Tillamook) and some of the crackers we eat use it for color – I always thought it was “natural” – do you try to avoid it? Also, forgive me if you have addressed this before, but if you let your kids go to something like a birthday party, do you give them a free pass, and if so, how long does it take for them to recover from what they’ve eaten there?
Hi Keisha, Good question about annatto – no one has asked about it before. Annatto is a natural color, extracted from seeds from a certain type of tree (can’t remember the name now…). It’s considered all natural, and won’t change behavior. I don’t go out of my way to avoid it, but I do tend to buy white cheddar cheese that has not been colored whenever I can. My rule is the fewer ingredients, the better. As far as the parties – I do give my kids a pass most of the time. It’s a tough line to walk, and while I want nothing but the best for them nutritionally, I don’t want them to develop a complex about the choices we make. I have also been known to tell the other mom that we are allergic, and bring our own treat to the party, it just depends on the situation and timing. The reaction time varies from child to child, and even from one exposure to the next. For us, reaction time can last anywhere from 2 days up to a week depending on the color – red #40 is always a week for her. Last week they gave out Sweetarts at school. She ate 4 candies and we had 3 days of behavior problems and notes from the teacher – the first note since Christmas – before she was back to herself.
Thanks so much for your reply! School has been a toughie for us – snacks are parent-supplied, so I have no control over what the other parents buy that’s being given to my son, and he also gets treats from his teacher at the end of the day – things like suckers and Smarties, and even those dip’n sticks and pixie stix, ugh! It’s only two days a week, but it sounds like even if I eliminated all artificial dyes the rest of the time, those tiny treats can still take a while to work their way out of his system. This is the last week of school, and after a birthday party this weekend, I’m going to do my best to crack down and see if eliminating the artificial colors makes a difference for us. Next on my list is getting rid of his bright-blue toothpaste…
Oh yes, teachers and school can be tough, and small slips can un-do weeks of progress. I always schedule a conference with my daughter’s teacher the week before school starts and explain our situation. I ask to be notified when there are birthdays (cupcakes) and treats coming into the class so I can send a homemade cupcake without artificial colors or flavors. I ask them to treat it as if she has an allergy. I make a big batch of cupcakes and cookies at the beginning of school and freeze them for later when the notice comes home and there’s no time for baking. And I supply the teacher with special treats for Sophie, like Surf Sweets gummies or jelly beans that she can give to Sophie when she’s handing out the treats. So far our teachers have been very supportive and a few have even changed their tactics based on what they learn from Sophie. Good luck this summer! And yes – the bright blue toothpaste isn’t doing you any favors either!