Keeping the Kids free of Artificial Dyes is getting Easier

Keeping my children from eating artificial dyes is getting easier. For one, my children prefer to not eat anything with artificial dyes in it because they know how it can ruin their day. They prefer not to alter their behavior by eating brightly colored foods laden with artificial dyes. They don't like getting into trouble when it is possible just to avoid the stuff all together. They know how irritable they get. Another reason, is my extended family consisting of Grandparents, Aunts, and nephews all help to keep their cabinets stocked with healthier options after reading my blog, but like anything it takes time to adopt a total dye-free lifestyle. My children, including my three year old son, keep Grandma on her toes by explaining to her that, "No, I can't have that drink or candy because it has red dye in it." They don't feel deprived. Grandma didn't need to feel bad because it was their choice and they knew that they wanted something better for them than those brightly colored drinks or candy. The last reason, is there are more options available today in the marketplace for foods and snacks that do not have red dye 40 and other synthetic artificial dyes.
If you are avoiding these dyes as well, remember to look for yellow dye, red dye 40, blue dye, or dyes listed with numbers after them when reading the ingredient list on your foods. I avoid carmine as well because we prefer not to eat bugs. Look for foods with natural food colors such as beet juice, caramel, annatto, or tumeric for example.
The benefits of feeding my family without artificial dyes have been enormous. There are no more uncontrollable tantrums, no more hitting each other over really dumb reasons, and my children are really enjoying their time together. It is a great summer this year!