Easter is just around the corner, but before you go buying up all the brightly colored pastel colored foods, let’s review a big culprit in the world of toxins and discuss a healthier swap. 
Holidays are so much fun, but I have to be honest…with all the focus on fun you may be overlooking something that is causing a big problem. What I’m referring to is a toxin hiding in MANY of the foods & drinks at the holiday get-togethers, the class parties, and even in your own kitchen. So take note and make sure that you don’t let this toxin make its way into your home during the holidays (or any other time, for that matter)! 

Remember those fluffy sugar cookies you would get at the grocery store that had colored icing and sprinkles on top? I think just about every mom I know has bought them at some point for their kiddos- these are the same ones you often will see at class parties because they are in every grocery store and super cheap. Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those cookies are not only filled with chemicals from the wheat and sugar that isn’t organic, but also from the artificial food dyes. It’s not only why the icing of these cookies are brightly hued but also why just about ANY food or drink has a distinct color (think sports drinks and candy)- yikes!  

Some places you are most likely going to find food dye during the holidays are in hard candies, sprinkles, peeps, jelly beans, chocolate, fruit drinks and cocktails, etc. It is literally hiding in everything! Even in many unsuspecting places you wouldn’t think to find artificial food dyes, there they are, snuck into products like pickles, salad dressings, popcorn, gum, yogurt, energy bars, and ice cream. The best way to steer clear of these harmful fake dyes that plague just about anything nowadays is to READ THE LABEL! Know what you are ingesting. 

You may be wondering, how did these dyes make its way into our foods? Good question. It started in the early 1800’s when these artificial food dyes were made from coal tar and introduced into foods to give them a bright color. Some argued it made the foods look more palatable (unfortunately, it always comes down to profits). Nowadays they are processed by the use of petroleum. And for those that don’t already know, petroleum is a hydrocarbon used in gasoline, diesel oil, and kerosene. Meaning…NOT something you want you or your family to be ingesting. Ingestion of petroleum can cause vision loss, abdominal pain, headaches, nausea, and neurological disorders to name just a few. 

There are 6 artificial food dyes that are currently approved by the FDA , with Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 making up 90% of what is used in the US. These artificial dyes are responsible for many serious side effects that range from hyperactivity, cancer, allergies. A lot of people will come to the defense of artificial food dyes stating that there has not been enough studies to conclude this. My thoughts are simple…when you take a closer look and understand where artificial food dyes come from (petroleum)…you must ask yourself this question…would you allow your child to ingest a drop of gasoline with each meal? Just a drop. No big deal. NO! Of course not. So why do we as parents allow governing authorities to diminish the possible harms these dyes can cause when WE know where they come from? 

What makes this a no-brainer for me is not only the research that has been done, but also the fact that there are smarter & healthier ways to dye your food that don’t cause such damaging side effects. For example, using beet powder or beet juice to frosting can give it a purple/red hue. Want something yellow? Try using turmeric or saffron instead of artificial dyes! There is literally a food for ANY color you could possibly want to use. God is pretty awesome like that- giving us everything we needed before man decided we could do it better (cough cough…profits and power). 

And if you are anything like me (a busy business owner and mom of 5)…you are most likely looking for a company that sells organic and non toxic food dyes. I mean, making everything from scratch sounds nice…but sometimes it’s just not realistic. In times where you want to have things made quickly and still care about the wellbeing of your family, I would recommend using SunCore Foods. Not only do they have incredible variety in the colors of their products, but they all come from organic nutrient dense whole foods. They are also having a sale through the end of April for 15% off (Code: EARTHLOVE)! 

So now that you know better…do better. Make the swap that will inevitably lower your family’s overall toxic exposure. Be your best health advocate by reading all labels and seeing that the majority of food companies use these artificial dyes that can be harmful to your health. Reach out to them and let them know why you are making a switch until they also “know better, do better”. If we come together and make our voices heard, we will not only see the shifts in our own kitchens, but in our communities, and eventually…our whole world.