Some seemingly healthy foods such as French or Ranch dressings and meal starters contain artificial dyes like Tartrazine (Yellow 5), the most widely used artificial colorant. Unfortunately, it has been linked with allergic reactions such as hives.
Read labels carefully and select products with natural ingredients and no added dyes. When shopping for granola bars, opt for those without added dyes.
Real Food
Social media is fueling an emerging movement towards eating real food again. Though definitions for real food vary among adherents to this movement, which was coined by FAO, generally they refer to foods which haven’t been industrially processed so as to retain their natural properties and retain nutritional benefits.
Followers of the real food movement tend to consume locally grown produce without chemicals applied and whole grains (wheat must state “whole wheat,” for instance), as well as grass fed meat, eggs and dairy from trusted farms. Furthermore, they abide by the five ingredients rule and stay away from products with artificial additives.
Whole Foods
Food colorings give candy its bright hues, cheddar cheese its glowing orange hues and red velvet cake its alluring hues. However, when shopping at Whole Foods – an organic supermarket chain – there won’t be an abundance of colorful cereals or sodas due to the company’s strict policy that bans artificial dyes since the 1980s – not to mention preservatives, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats which they also prohibit; in contrast the European Union requires products containing certain synthetic dyes to contain warning labels that may cause hyperactivity among children before purchase.
Rice Cakes
Rice cakes (actually puffed rice) make an ideal low-cal snack option, perfect for when time is short or calories need to be restricted. When selecting varieties made with whole grains such as whole oats for optimal fiber and nutrition. And make sure the varieties you purchase do not contain salt, sugar or artificial flavors!
Rice cakes made using traditional methods have long been enjoyed around the world, from puso in the Philippines and Japan to puto and puto from Korea and beyond. Each form may feature its own distinct set of ingredients like beans, fruits and vegetables or even meat filling.
Susie suggests pairing rice cakes with protein, healthy fats and vegetables for an nutritous meal, according to Susie.
Crackers
Crackers are crisp, unleavened snacks that make a delicious complement to cheeses and spreads. While cookies tend to be sweet with soft or chewy textures, and biscuits flaky buttery flavors; crackers have an almost neutral flavor profile that serves well alongside savory meals or breakfast items.
Crackers made with yeast- or chemically leavened soda are prepared with wheat flour, water and yeast or chemical leaveners such as yeast. Doughs created for these crackers are baked at very low moisture contents using heavy mesh oven bands to minimize air pockets from forming during baking. Some crackers feature docking holes to help avoid excessively large air pockets from forming while baking; the characteristic holes found on some crackers serve this function.
Granola Bars
When shopping for granola bars, look for ingredients made of whole grains and no artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes; choose protein-rich options like nuts or seeds as they provide additional nutrition benefits. Carefully read nutrition labels and ingredient lists – ingredients will generally be listed descending order of weight! – and pay particular attention to those listed at the start.
Commercial granola bars generally contain too much added sugar and not enough fibre, and are frequently high in trans-fat content. According to the USDA Food Pyramid, we should strive for 25-30 grams of fibre daily from whole grain sources like unprocessed cereal grains.
Cheese
Food dyes are petroleum-derived chemicals used to add color to various food items. Their use has long been considered controversial due to possible negative health impacts for children; some individuals even avoid products containing artificial dyes to limit exposure to these toxic chemicals.
Cheese has historically been pale yellow because cows grazing on grass during spring and summer fed their milk with lots of beta carotene from grasses like blue grass; while during the winter they consumed dried hay. Now however, some brands of cheese use artificial colorings such as Yellow 5 or 6 dyes to alter its hue into something oranger; even if its label claims otherwise.
Fruit
With an increasingly health-conscious consumer base becoming aware of synthetic dyes, many brands have moved away from using them in favor of natural colorants such as annatto from the achiote tree, turmeric, spirulina extract and beetroot for coloring soda and beverages.
Avoid artificial dyes by eating whole fruits without added coloring, low-fat yogurt and non-dyed packaged food products like fruit cups or granola bars with clean ingredient lists such as fruit cups. Be wary when selecting products containing artificial colors as they could contain added sugar as well as potentially dangerous ingredients.
