It can be hard to prepare decent meals for kids especially when you are pressed for time. The most convenient way to feed them those easy to heat packaged foods. While those types of food are quick to cook, you should still refrain from feeding your kids too much of them.
This is because they contain a lot of preservatives and artificial flavorings, the latter of which has been linked to increasing chances of ADHD. Luckily, there have been efforts to remove said additives in packaged foods. In the meantime, the next time you go out shopping for your kid's foods, make sure to read the label at the back and look out for any of these additives (list compiled by Food Matters):
For preservatives:
- 200-203 sorbates
- 210-213 benzoates
- 280-283 propionates
- 249-252 nitrates and nitrites
- 310-312 gallates
- Flavor enhancers
- Synthetic Antioxidants
For artificial colors:
- 102 tartrazine
- 104 quinoline yellow
- 102 yellow 2G
- 110 sunset yellow
- 122 azorubine
- 123 amaranth
- 124 ponceau seed
- 127 erythrosine
- 128 red 2G
- 129 allura red
- 132 indigotine
- 133 brilliant blue
- 142 green S.
- 151 brilliant black
- 155 chocolate brown natural color
- 160b annatto
Parents need to be extra careful because a lot of these additives are found in even the most common products, such as bread, butter, crackers, yogurt, and juices. Aside from increasing chances of diabetes, these additives also boost chances of kids having behavioral problems. The more they take in these artificial flavorings or colors, the bigger their chances. Other conditions that kids can acquire from too much additive intake include rashes, headaches, constipation, and asthma.
Basically, parents should be more careful of what they let their children eat and what comprises their food. Only by being more cautious can kids grow up healthier and livelier.
