100 Days of Being Dye Free

how artificially dyed candy gets used in our house

I can count the number of times I've had chemical food dyes in the last year on one hand.  Because artificial food dyes can muck with my brain, I decided to rid them from my diet.  The boys have probably been working on eliminating them for about 100 days, or since the beginning of the school year.

Every time one of the boys offers me one of their junk candies I say "no thanks" citing nasty food colorings as the reason.  I even complain out loud so they know I'm struggling too.  They often hear me say "that iced cookie looks so good.  I wish I could eat it, but it's covered with brain poison, so I won't."

I'm teaching them to read labels and make choices when we buy snacks.  When they get nasties in birthday party favor bags I offer a trade when we get home.  I have a collection of naturally colored organic candies and snacks that I swap out for dum dums, fruit roll ups, and jolly ranchers.   They don't always take me up on it, but after nearly six months of the trade practice, they usually agree to a swap.  Not taking credit for the swap idea, I learned that from Christina at Spoonfed.

Yet every time I take the kids to the grocery store they beg for junky candy and snacks.  It's maddening, but I just need to give them more time to make good decisions.  Instead of saying no, I need to pick up each item and have them read the ingredient list.  Then they can make the choice to put it back on the shelf themselves, and I can give them an opportunity to make a safe selection in the natural foods section.

Big boo is conflicted when he's offered treats. His brain wants to say "no thanks" but his heart wants the treat.  One day the school handed out rainbow colored popsicles.  One the way home from school that day, with a little alarm in his voice he asks:

him: "mama, can I have a paper towel?"
me: "what for"
him:  "i made a mess"
me:  "i can't hand you a paper towel, I'm driving.  what made a mess?"
him: "a melted popsicle"
me (with alarm in my voice)  "why is there a melted popsicle in your lunch box inside the car (did I mention we'd just bought the first new car our family has driven since 2002)?"
him: "we got them at school. but i didn't eat it because it have food coloring.  i decided to save it for later."
him: (sobbing)  "it's all ruined.  i never get treats because they have food coloring. it's all ruined."

This episode really made me think.  Am I asking too much of my six year old?  Maybe I went too far with the whole food dye thing?  He really does want to feed his body right, but so many school days contain access to food dyes and other nasty additive ingredients. To expect a six year old to "make the right choice" in the face of so much junk when I'm not there to offer a substitute is expecting a lot.  I then went through a phase where I simply offered the option for a swap, and let him decide with no persuasion.  I realized that he really did need to own his decision, not just follow my lead.

It's been half a year since the popsicle episode, and I have to say that despite some tears and frustration over opting out of the junk that's at the bank, the school, every birthday party, and on every holiday table, that big boo is less conflicted than he used to be.  Little boo is a different story.  He'll tell you all about how food coloring is bad for his brain and dig right in.

When we searched the pantry for something small like beans or popcorn to glue down to a poster board for his1st Grade class 100 Days of School party, he rejected all real food items.  He said, "let's use something unhealthy, so we don't waste food."  The bag of M&Ms he got for Christmas came to mind.  I hadn't had the nerve to toss it yet.  It was given to him, and tossing/eating it was his call, so I stuffed it in there hoping we'd all forget about it.  He didn't hesitate or flinch about gluing all the green and red M&Ms down.  Until we opened that bag and smelled them.  That familiar candy-chocolate smell got to me to.  I confess.  I ate just one green one.  Big boo ate one, and little boo had one too.

I think I paid the price though.  It took me an hour to fall asleep last night (usually I'm out with the light), and I woke up at 4:30a unable to go back to sleep.  Probably explains why I couldn't sleep on new years eve either.  We went out for sushi, I ordered seaweed salad not knowing the sea vegetable starter would be tainted with food dyes.

No more "just one" mentality for me. I learned my lesson.  It's not just me, other parents see a connection between food dyes and behaviors such as anger, aggression, restlessness, and inability to focus.

I was fiercely proud of him for deciding so easily to use these colored brain bombs for his math homework.  It goes to show, that when you act like your child has a brain and is capable of making good choices, they will.

On the Real Red Food Valentines Day Party front we have good news.  Both of the boys teachers agreed to do the party!  PreK may have real food and red hots, but at least it's a step in the right direction.  Word is spreading around Sherwood, and at least one PK, K, 1st, 3rd, 4th grade class will be doing a real food party this year. I'll call that a baby step in the right direction at improving Food IQ at the local elementary.

If you're on the fence about eliminating food dyes check out this piece by Christina at Spoonfed. Her color of trouble article is thought provoking, and includes few choice words about Kool-Aid fun fizz.

What about you.  Have you ditched the dyes yet?  Have you noticed any subtle or not so subtle reactions when you cheat, or petroleum based food dyes sneaks in where you weren't expecting it?