Creating a Calmer Easter
Every spring, your children eagerly anticipate a visit from that furry purveyor of candy, the Easter Bunny. You, on the other hand, do not look forward to the chaos that he often leaves in his wake when your kids eat all of those brightly colored candies. In fact, it might make you reach your wits’ end.
“Many parents blame sugar, but the real villains are usually the synthetic food dyes and additives in the candy,” said Jane Hersey, National Director of the nonprofit Feingold Association [1].
“If you look at the ingredient lists on typical Easter candies, you might think that the Easter Bunny actually works for a petrochemical corporation,” said Hersey, whose eldest daughter was helped by eliminating these additives.
Many petroleum based food dyes (like Red 40 and Yellow 6) and certain preservatives that have unpronounceable names are common ingredients in Easter candy. “These additives have no nutritional value and are added only to make the candies more colorful, and more appealing to children, or to preserve them until the next millennium,” said Hersey.
It has been known for decades that many of these chemicals can affect children’s health and behavior. In fact, one such study is a 2011 Australian trial conducted at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, which was sponsored by the Feingold Association. This study of children ages 4-12 found that a diet eliminating synthetic additives and other factors led to significant improvements in behavioral problems like oppositional behavior, ADHD and inattentiveness.
A 2012 article published in Neurotherapeutics also concluded that artificial food dyes represent a significant general public health problem. The authors recommended that parents take steps to minimize the amount of these additives in their children’s diet.
Similar studies, including a prominent one in the British medical journalLancet, resulted in the European Union’s decision to require labels on most artificially colored foods to warn that the additives “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
In the United States, hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions to the food industry calling for the removal of these additives from their products.
So, what can parents do to make Easter less stressful?
Hersey suggests these Easter basket ideas and candy-free activities:
- Spring Planting. Planting flowers is not only fun for children, but it also gives them the satisfaction of watching “their plants” grow throughout the spring and summer.
- Draw a Bunny. Let your children draw bunnies or color them in coloring books.
- Give Healthier Candies. Stock their Easter baskets with natural candies that are free of synthetic food dyes and other harmful additives.
- Encourage Creativity. Add art supplies like watercolors, small brushes, colored pencils and a small sketchbook to bring out the artist in your child.
- Ode to a Bunny. Write a poem or song with your children about Easter Bunnies.
- Find the Eggs. An Easter egg hunt is a great way to take the emphasis off candy and burn up some calories.
Here is a list of some Feingold-safe candies.
The Natural Candy Store [2] sells: Surf Sweet Jellybeans; Surf Sweet gummies; Thompson Candy Co. chocolate bunnies and chocolate mini eggs, and many other options. You can go to the website for different, or more specific, candies (all Feingold approved).
Jelly Belly brand has a natural version of jellybeans.
Other approved yummies: Clark Bars; Pearson’s Chocolate Covered Mint Patties; Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups; Lovely brand candies (sold in Target) – one is a natural version of Starbursts and another is a natural version of Tootsie Rolls. Target also sells UnReal Candy (they have natural versions of Snicker’s and Milky Way bars).
The Feingold Association:
The Feingold Association (www.feingold.org [1] / 800-321-3287) helps families use the Feingold Diet, which eliminates synthetic food dyes, artificial flavorings, and certain preservatives. The charity conducts in-depth research with food companies and provides members with information about which foods are free of harmful additives.
**Individual dietary needs vary and no one diet will meet everyone’s daily requirements. Before starting any new diet, check with your doctor or nutritionist
References
Mickaela J. Schelleman: PhD Thesis, RMIT University, School of Health Sciences, Division of Psychology, December 2011.
Arnold, L.E., Lofthouse, N. and Hurt, E. Neurotherapeutics. 2012, Vol. 9, pp. 599-609.
McCann D., Barrett, A., Cooper, A., et al. Lancet. Nov. 2007; 370(9598): pp. 1560-7
“Modernising the rules on food additives and labeling of azo dyes,” European Parliament, July 8, 2008.
Easter Activities
- Easy and Exciting Egg Activities for Easter [3]
- EASTER FUN: Alternatives to Chocolate [4]
- Easter Egg Decorating Made Easy with Tissue Paper [5]
- Easter Candy and Hyper Kids: A Colorful Connection [6]
- Can Easter Candy Make Kids See Red? [7]
- Don’t Fear the Easter Bunny! How to Avoid Harmful Easter Candy [8]
- Easter Hunt Over? Now! Try Peanut Hunt! [9]
This post originally appeared on our March/April 2012 Magazine [10]