If you are looking ahead to a healthier new year for your kids, you are in for a treat. In this episode, we will focus on what to look out for in lunchboxes and what additives we like to avoid as we send them back to school.

The problem with lunchboxes

Preparing lunchboxes can be really overwhelming for parents. It’s already hard packing lunchboxes day in and day out, but it’s harder to pack food that the kids will eat. Peer pressure is real, and kids tend to compare their lunchboxes with other friends.

To make things worse, when you go to the supermarket, there are huge signs of “Back-to-School,” and packaged processed food is on the shelves. You will probably get trapped in this cycle if you’re too busy to prepare your kids’ meals. Businesses don’t care about your health; they just want your money.

Additives to avoid

We go through the most impactful additives you need to avoid to help you and your kids live a healthier lifestyle.

  1. Sulphur Dioxide – is found in a lot of dried fruit or anything that has dried fruit. This is heavily linked to asthmatic problems. The most common foods that have sulphur dioxide are desiccated coconut, pre-made burgers, processed meat, grapes, muesli bars, dried fruit and products that contain dried fruit, and even Anzac biscuits.
  2. Annatto (160b) – This additive is commonly found in foods marketed to children because it’s a natural colourant. However, what’s concerning is its strong link to extreme behavioural issues in kids. Things like restlessness and severe reactions, including headaches, migraines, and even head banging. Adults can be affected, too.

Annatto is found in everyday foods like yoghurt, cheese (especially American cheese with its bright, artificial look), ice cream, cereals, custards, biscuits, and cakes. This widespread presence in our diets makes it a significant concern.

  1. Caramel colours – There are a couple of different caramel colours, ranging from numbers 1 to 5. Numbers 3, 4, and 5 are the worst kind. This additive links to several health issues like headaches, migraines, and skin irritations. It’s particularly troubling for asthmatics and can also cause behavioral problems, learning difficulties, irritability, restlessness, and sleep issues in children. Caramel colour is in many spreads, like Vegemite, which many people love. It’s also in bakery products, confectionery, biscuits, and drinks like cordials.
  2. MSG and Glutamates – Glutamates are found in a lot of flavor-enhanced food. It’s found in chips, crackers, and biscuits. It’s linked to headaches, fatigue, restlessness, upset tummy, bloating, and flatulence. We are talking about the synthetically created MSG and synthetically created foods that are high in glutamates, and not naturally occurring glutamates that you find in foods such as vegetables, etc.
  3. Calcium Propionate (282) – This one is found in a lot of bread, wraps, pasta, breadcrumbs, flour products, processed meat, dairy products, spreads, and bottled juices. This additive is heavily linked to headaches, migraines, skin irritations, behavioral issues, learning difficulties, irritability, and restlessness.

Clothing can also harm your kids

Teflon is a huge red flag when it comes to clothing. Usually, they will market these products as waterproof and stain-resistant. oil resistant, dirt repellent, or fast drying. But the reality is Teflon can be really harmful to you, and it’s a forever chemical that will never leave your body.

When kids get sweaty, which most of them do, their pores open up, absorbing the Teflon through their skin and into their bodies. Especially in the sensitive areas like the armpits, groin, and sports bras for girls. There are a lot of issues that can come from having products touching those parts of our body every day, 24 hours a day.

We highly advise you and your kids to use bamboo and organic clothing when possible, especially on the sensitive parts of your body.

Solutions for a healthier lifestyle

We’re not telling you to stop eating! But you can choose to eat healthy and make smarter choices. You can use our additive-free lifestyle app, which scans food ingredients for harmful additives.

Also, you can check out recipes from our everyday additive-free range of cookbooks. It’s all about making informed decisions and finding better alternatives for our families.

Much love,
Jo & Tracey x