Good Behaviour Lunchboxes
If your child is sensitive, or has behaviour issues at all, think about avoiding food colour. Well, really, there is no need to be consuming it at all for any of us but the studies do show that these substances may negatively affect behaviour in specific people and avoiding it may be part of an “ADHD diet.”
Avoid any label that contains the word ‘colour’.
In Canada that could mean any one of a number of natural or artificial food colours that have been linked to hyperactivity in children, asthma, skin rashes, and migraines and have been banned in Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and France. Tartrazine is one of the specific ingredients that you want to avoid and it may not be listed as such. It is often used to create that yellow or orange tinge in many baked goods.
In other countries including the US, each specific food colour dye that is used needs to be named but right now. In Canada, the legislation does allow just the category ‘colour’ to be listed.
Do you have any success stories to share (or nightmares!) about how a change in diet has affected your child’s behaviour? Do you actively avoid food colour for your family’s food?
