–Only you and the Easter Bunny will know it’s Healthy

Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Blue #2, Isoamyl Acetate, Yellow #6, Tertiary Butylhydroquinone, Dimethyl Sulphide, and Red #40…Would you feed your children foods containing chemicals like these?  That may be exactly what you’re doing if you give them a typical Easter basket! Are you aware that certain dyes have been linked to many health problems in children, including hyperactivity and inattention?

What Every Parent Should Know
“Many parents do not realize that the pretty candies in their children’s Easter baskets are often loaded with artificial additives like synthetic dyes, which can actually harm your children,” says Jane Hersey, National Director of the nonprofit Feingold Association, which helps special needs children. “If you notice that your children act up after eating brightly colored candies, synthetic dyes are most likely the culprit. Even the Easter Bunny would be bouncing off the walls if he ate these sweets!” Hersey has first-hand experience with this health issue as her daughter was affected by these additives herself.
You might think that avoiding the many synthetic dyes, preservatives, and other additives found in typical Easter candies is a daunting challenge. “Actually, parents have a wide range of Easter treats they can use to prepare an Easter basket that most kids would love to receive,” says Hersey.  Many of these natural candies are listed in The Feingold Association’s Foodlist & Shopping Guide and Mail Order Guide.  “The Feingold Association also shows parents how to find low-additive versions of Easter candies (such as chocolate mint patties, peanut butter kisses, jelly beans, and chocolate bunnies) at health food stores, healthy markets, specialty stores, and even supermarkets.”

Concerns over the adverse effects of synthetic food dyes on children’s behavior and attention has led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to schedule a public hearing about this topic on March 30-31, 2011. Hersey hopes that this meeting, which will include presentations by several prominent scientists, will be the first step in the eventual banning of these additives from the American food supply. “The FDA should prohibit these dyes and require warning labels in the meantime,” she says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has acknowledged in its journal that “a trial of a preservative/food coloring-free diet is a reasonable intervention” for hyperactive children.  The American Academy of Family Physicians has also added this statement to its web site:  “Studies have shown that certain food colorings and preservatives may cause or worsen hyperactive behavior in some children.”

Preparing a Healthy Easter Basket

To help the Easter Bunny put together a basket that kids will love, Hersey recommends the following tips:

• Avoid buying Easter candies containing synthetic food dyes (such as Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue     1), artificial flavorings, or the preservatives BHA, BHT, and TBHQ.Replace some of the candy with dried pineapples, figs, raisins, or dates, which are naturally sweet and much more nourishing.

• Add 100 percent fruit roll-ups or homemade trail mix.

• Put a stuffed animal, such as a bunny or chick, in the basket to help take the emphasis off sweets.

• Include educational toys, books, or disposable cameras in the basket.

• Tuck a coupon from the Easter Bunny, good for an outing at a theatre or amusement park, in among the cellophane grass.

• Consider using brightly colored plastic Easter eggs, or coloring your boiled eggs with natural dyes.

• Feed your children a healthy breakfast before letting them indulge in Easter sweets in order to reduce the amount of candy they eat.

• Plan an Easter egg hunt to help children work off excess energy and get some exercise.

• “Following these simple steps can help your family enjoy a happy and healthy Easter,” says Hersey.