Our children are our future. They will be the ones to grow up and make the decisions that will affect generations to come. Therefore, the best way we invest in them is within their nutrition which affects their growth, development, and learning.
Unfortunately, many snacks that are marketed towards children contain toxic, carcinogenic artificial food dyes and ingredients that can have sweeping negative effects on our children’s overall health. In fact, many of the ingredients that I will mention today are petroleum products! Today we will arm ourselves with knowledge against the companies that would misrepresent their products in such way.
It is important to note that many of the ingredients that will be mentioned are banned in the European Union and the British government, and that there are ways to safely make consumable products instead of cutting corners for profit as is so often the business here in America.
Pop Tarts
Red 40 (which the popular “Frosted Strawberry” contains) and Yellow 5 are made from petroleum and pose a serious health threat in children. The FDA says that consumption only puts you at the “concern threshold” but Is that the kind of thing we want our children eating?
Additionally, within the first 6 ingredients (the closer to the word “ingredients” in the nutrition facts the more the product is composed of that ingredient) is corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and palm oil with “TBHQ for freshness”.
Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose are harmful sugars linked to many disorders and functions including hyperactivity in children and the exasperation of ADD/ADHD symptoms as well as diabetes.
TBHQ is another petroleum based product that is related to butane which is a poisonous inhalant.
[imgsrc caption="Image courtesy media.mercola.com" link="http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2014/May/food-dyes-poison-2-fb.jpg"]
Fruit snacks
It’s hard to imagine another snack that just screams “childhood” like fruit snacks does. However, much of it is again sugars and dyes, and Red 3, a.k.a E127 or Ethryosene, is a petroleum product.
Cheetos
That bright orange color wasn’t quite natural, as many of us could have derived, but little did we know that is was due to Yellow 6, a confirmed petroleum based product. Additionally the “cheese” flavoring isn’t from cheese at all, but the petroleum derived methyl benzoate, and ethyl methylphenidate.
Teddy grams
These cute little teddies are portable and kids love them, but they are laced with the previously mentioned TBHQ. Nausea, vomiting, and causative of stomach cancer when tested on lab rats, teddy grams needs to rethink what it is placing in its products.
Healthy snacks and beyond: you as a consumer have a choice!
We all have the voting power of our dollars! Since the United States is a capitalist economy your business, and the law of supply and demand, dictate not just what goes on our store shelves, but how they are made if you refuse to purchase products that are bad for you and your family’s health!
If you are not quite ready to discerningly examine every nutrition label that you come across, try providing organic fruit and nuts to your little ones as a healthy snack! Beyond that, you are now armed with the awareness that many of the children’s snacks we have trusted in the past have made some unsavory decisions in the production line, and you have the opportunity to make the change!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
