Tips To Avoid Artificial Food Colors

Do you try to avoid buying foods with artificial colors for your preschooler? It can be hard - even basic foods like breakfast cereals, cereal bars, yogurt, crackers, ice cream, fruit cocktail, condiments and fruit drinks can contain artificial colors.

It's no surprise that artificial food colors are especially common in children’s foods. Children respond to bright colors and colorful food sells. While the FDA considers artificial additives in foods to be safe, some research suggests that artificial food colors and preservatives are linked to behavior problems in children.

Use these tips to avoid artificial food additives if you are concerned about potential health issues or you simply want your preschooler to enjoy natural ingredients.

Read the Food Label

Most brightly colored candy contains artificial food colors, but for some foods, the added color isn't so obvious. Take a moment to read the ingredient listing on your preschooler's favorite foods. Look for these terms to indicate an artificial color is used:

"Artificial color"
FD&C Blue No. 1
FD&C Blue No.2
FD&C Green No.3
FD&C Red No.3
FD&C Red No.40
FD&C Yellow No.5
FD&C Yellow No.6
Orange B
Citrus Red No.2

Foods that Contain Artificial Food Colors

Bright colors are an obvious clue. Most processed foods don't retain bright colors without additives. Also, rethink foods you are used to seeing in a certain color. Should mint ice cream really be green? Is yogurt really going to be that shade from just added fruit? Is cheese really that yellow?

Many Kids’ Cereals. Cereals that are brightly colored or not the color of natural cereal foods are likely to contain artificial colors. Froot Loops and other multi-colored cereals contain many artificial colors.

Cereal Bars. The fruit filling might not be a brilliant color, but many cereal bar brands do use artificial coloring.
 
Yogurt. While many fruit yogurts contain artificial colors, some yogurts marketed to children have switched to using natural colors or have no added colors at all.

Crackers and snacks. Bright yellow cheese crackers and multi-colored Goldfish crackers have artificial colors. And snacks that are bright yellow, orange, red, and green usually contain artificial colors. Even gelatin and pudding can have them.

Ice cream. Ice creams with color often use artificial flavor. Check the label for flavors like mint chocolate chip, strawberry, cherry and even French vanilla.

Meals. Not only are many snacks artificially colored, packaged meals can be, too. Kraft macaroni and cheese, certain Lunchables, and some frozen meals contain artificial colors.

Beverages. Many brightly colored drinks, like fruit punch, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and smoothies, contain artificial colors.

References:
International Food Information Council and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Ingredients and Colors, 2004.
Ingredient information retrieved from product labels and company websites.

More Nutrition Tips for Preschoolers

Choosing a Breakfast Cereal for Your Preschooler
Top Tips for Healthy Eating
Tips for Parents of Picky Eating Preschoolers

by Kati Chevaux

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