This is a short but sweet post today, all about food dye.

To start, I want to clarify that this conversation is not about fear-mongering & never having one-offs.

Each of my kids has consumed food dye at some point. But it's not a regular thing and is high on our list of "almost never".

But part of "food freedom" is having the full awareness of how things effect our health & bodies.

Who knows what artificial food dye is currently made out of?

*drumroll please*

PETROLEUM.

Yes, petroleum. And it has been linked to things like cancer, ADHD, anxiety,, allergies, the list goes on. Just try a web search for "food dye studies".

Now please note I did not say these conditions were “caused" by” food dye, but there is a valid reason these colorings are banned in other developed countries.

Take a peak at this PubMed study snippet below:

Especially with the holidays in full swing, there are vibrant treats everywhere and it's super important to know what we're getting into.

And as always, this is for educational purposes, not for shaming or judgment!

The good news is, once you remove food dyes from your family's diet, you're also taking out a large number of things that really just weren't meant for human consumption, and will inevitably have to shift to a more whole foods-based diet!

If you feel overwhelmed by tackling all food dye, start with red 40, it's arguably the worst offender!

(and just to be real clear since I am such a big food freedom advocate - food dye is not actual food. OK great)

And the OTHER good news is that you can color your food with other real-food choices! Some favorites around our house are:
-spirulina powder (green or blue!)
-turmeric
-beet root powder or beet juice
-chlorophyll
-pomegranate juice
-blueberry juice
-purple sweet potatoes
-& cacao powder to name a few!

I tend toward using these alternatives as opposed to any certain brand of natural food coloring, but those are available and certainly a better choice than artificial dye!

I’m continually in awe of how beautifully and vibrantly God created our nourishment and I LOVE getting to share my own dye-free recipes with you! My kid's’ cookbook is launching next month and is completely dye-free and whole foods based. Be sure to hop on my email list below (the big orange box at the bottom of the page!) to be notified when it’s released!

Happy dye-free nourishing!