Foods that cause the addiction sensors in the brain of kids to kick off ADD, addiction to foods, drugs and a whole bunch of issues such as obesity, diabetes and more. At The Addictions Coach we deal with this in the teen years and the common issue? Horrible food choices for kids growing up. Our founder, Cali Estes’ tag line in her food addictions coaching classes has always been “pop tarts are not a breakfast food”. Call us to learn about food addiction today. 1.800.706.0318
The list of foods is below. See link at the bottom of page to view the article in its entirety, which includes healthier, safer alternatives for each item on the list.
10 Processed Foods to Never Feed Your Kids
Elizabeth Bruno – Mamavation
It may be easy to reach for one of these foods when your child is hungry, but have you ever really thought about what’s inside those processed convenience foods targeted at kids? Flip those colorful cartooned packages over and you’ll find almost as many artificial colors lurking in the ingredients. That list of ingredients is a long and confusing jumble of chemicals and carcinogens, like what you’ll find in these 10 cancer causing foods. Let’s take a closer look at what effects these foods are having on your child’s health, along with alternative choices you can make to safeguard their future.
1. Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish
These fishies are a pantry staple in many homes with kids. I admit, I grew up on them myself. They appear healthy with a label that totes whole grain, real cheddar, and no artificial preservatives. However, a look at the ingredient list shows just why these unnaturally orange snack crackers should stay off of your child’s plate.
Enriched wheat flour might sound good, but it means so many natural nutrients were stripped away in the processed flour that things have to be added back in. The iron added is a metallic form that our bodies just can’t absorb fully. As for the folic acid, research now shows that the fortification of foods with folic acid is linked to cancer.
Moving on to the cheddar cheese–it’s not organic. That means the cows ate a diet of genetically modified grains and then produced milk for the cheese. We’ve already discussed the dangers of GMOs and the importance of organic dairy. Conventional dairy may also contain rbST, another Monsanto product. The cows are injected with this genetically engineered hormone to stimulate milk production. It’s already banned in Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. The use of rbST, in turn, causes other health problems, such as mastitis, that need further treatment with antibiotics. This increases antibiotic resistance, a dangerous problem which is then passed on to humans. These are all reasons enough to flush these fish, and this is only the third ingredient. That cheese also contains annatto as a coloring agent. Although it’s from a natural source, the seeds of the achiote bush, annatto has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome.
2. Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts
“Baked with real fruit” catches your eye on the front of the package, but turn it over and you’ll see a different story. The filling is about 10% fruit. So what’s in the other 90%? More enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, GMO after GMO, artificial colors, and so much sugar!
3. Nestle Nesquik Chocolate Milk
Seemingly a healthier choice than soda and energy drinks, this is a deceptive beverage. It’s even a staple in school lunches. Aside from the aforementioned dangers of conventional dairy, this Nesquik is loaded with sugar. One bottle (listed as two servings) has a whopping 48 grams! Even if a child were to only consume half the bottle, that’s still double the recommended daily amount of 12 grams (3 teaspoons) of sugar. Research shows Excess sugar consumption leads to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, liver problems, and reduced brain power.
4. Soda
Just like the chocolate milk above, soda is loaded with sugar. However, most kids will probably only have one Nesquik, but then have multiple sodas. Luckily many schools and fast food chains have eliminated soda from the children’s menu. It’s one of the cancer causing foods that should be eliminated from your diet.
5. Fast Food Kids Meals
The majority of kid’s meals are made up of a hamburger and fries, which we have already identified as cancer causing foods. Burger King still offers soda with their kids meal, even though other chains have eliminated it. Have you seen the ingredient list in these meals? A cheeseburger contains 70 ingredients! That Happy Meal being marketed to your child is not something you should be happy about. To go line by line with every ingredient in a Happy Meal would take a long time, but you can review all of their ingredients on their website. What I found in my research was non-organic meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. All of these items contain harmful GMOs and pesticides. In a typical Happy Meal you will find 540 calories, 18 grams of fat, 0.5 gram of trans fat, 790 mg of sodium, and 32 grams of sugar.
6. Yoplait Go-Gurt
These yogurt tubes may seem like a healthier snack option when it comes to processed foods. A look at the ingredients shows the typical culprit of conventional dairy. Animal products are the first products you should be buying organic. Along with the genetically modified dairy you’ll find modified corn starch, which is also GMO. Go-Gurt also contains 2/3 of the daily recommended amount of sugar for children in just one tube. The thickener carrageenan, shown to cause intestinal problems in animals, is also used.
7. Kid Cuisine
You’ve seen these frozen tv dinners at the grocery store. They’re adored with cartoon characters and bright colors to catch your kids’ eye. After looking at the long list of ingredients on the package, I found a number of concerning components to this meal. Almost too many to name. Everything you see on the front of the package is GMO–all of it!
8. Kellogg’s Froot Loops (and other cereals)
You may have heard that Kellogg’s Froot Loops contain weedkiller. It’s because of the GMO sugar, corn and soy that are prevalent in this breakfast cereal. The partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is GMO and contains trans fats, which are considered to be the worst kind of fat and are linked to serious health risks.
The unique spelling of “froot” is probably because you won’t find any real fruit in this cereal. What you will find is a vibrant array of colors. Froot Loops also has 6 artificial and natural colors on the ingredients list. So by starting your child’s day with a bowl full of colored cereal, you’re setting them up for hyperactivity and increased ADD or ADHD symptoms for the day.
9. Hostess Twinkies
Hopefully this is not a surprise on the list. The twinkie has never really gotten a reputation as a health food. The ingredients include partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, shortening, and beef fat–all trans fats. It also has the usual offenders of enriched bleached white flour, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, MSG, and artificial colors. That means over fortified flour, dangerous GMOS, and toxic food additives and colors.
10. Kraft Oscar Mayer Lunchables
There is a wide array of Lunchables products at the grocery store. These meals are made to save time when packing a lunch for your child. A closer look at the ingredients and you’ll see a long list of reasons to steer clear of this processed lunch pack. It’s counter productive to your kids’ school day to send them off with this in their bag. The artificial coloring and flavors elicit behavioral reactions and a difficulty in staying focused.
