Brussels Sprouts Please!

Ok kids (and adults), it's time to give Brussels Sprouts a try. Believe it or not, my daughter was first exposed to Brussels Sprouts on a cartoon show. (It amazes me the vegetables I have YET to introduce to her... I'll be on a mission now to expose the fruit and vegetable world!)

So after seeing those green little veggies on Olivia, she said... "Mom, what are Brussels Sprouts?" Knowing she was a huge fan of raw food and cabbage, I said "They are like little baby cabbages". Then she immediately asked to go to the store and buy them. So we did.

We brought them home and she looked at them with a smile. She immediately bit into one and was thrilled! They did taste like baby cabbages! And how fun they were too. Eat them in balls or peel them and eat the leaves one at a time! That was two days ago. Since then, she's asked for them over and over again.

The lesson? Continue to introduce new foods to your children. Just because you don't eat them or don't think they would like them is no reason to leave it out of the equation. You'd be surprise what kids will like (especially the more foods they are exposed to). Give them the benefit of the doubt and make it fun. Kids gravitate toward raw foods, so try raw versions first. Cooking vegetables can spoil the whole experience for kids.

So give those little green balls of nutrition a try! You just might like it!

Don't Be Fooled, Food Dyes Affect Children

It's April Fool's Day, but don't be fooled by thinking artificial food colorings are not harmful to our kids just because the FDA has decided thus far not to put "warning labels" on their products. Numerous studies suggest that food dyes and food colorings negatively impact the health of our children, and adults. When at the market, find foods that have natural, plant colorings instead of the synthetic number-coded colorings. Or better yet, choose colorful whole food! Think RED STRAWBERRY, ORANGE ORANGES, GREEN SNAP PEAS, BLUE BERRIES, YELLOW BANANAS... Nature is very colorful on her own, when you stick to "nature's food".

Here are some related food coloring and food dye articles:

Scientists Warn: Food Colors Damage Kids
A recent study reported in the journal Prescrire International found that artificial food dyes are linked to an increased incidence of hyperactivity in children. Scientists studied 297 children who were representative of the general population to conclude that food colors increase hyperactivity in children, not just children who are sensitive to them.
... In another study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the dye tartrazine was linked to behavioural disturbances in normal children. Still more research from doctors at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom found that food dyes have a significant impact on the behaviour of normal children and boost the levels of hyperactivity. These doctors also recommended that these additives be removed from children’s diets.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/scientists-warn-food-colors-damage-kids.html

Artificial Food Coloring Dangers

Artificial food coloring ingredients (food dye) contain plenty of chemicals. Many are derived from highly toxic sources and can cause many different diseases, disorders, and mutations in humans. Although it seems unlikely that a trivial amount of food coloring in a piece of a candy you eat (like liquorice) would have any harmful effect on you, you would be wrong, because it does.

Read more: http://science-news.org/artificial-food-coloring/artificial-food-coloring-dangers/