I’m gonna ban all E numbers from the house!
The saying ‘you are what you eat’ is pretty scary when it comes to some of my children’s little friends. ‘Why not invite that greasy hamburger in a white bun over’ I ought to be asking, or – ‘is that caffiene and sugar laden can of Cola coming over for a playdate?’. Don’t get me wrong,
I’m no saint when it comes to the perfect diet for my kids, but I am becoming increasingly aware of the terrible effects of additives on young children. We know that a staggeringly high number of children are now classed as obese and many more suffer from allergies, hyperactivity, low blood sugar and poor concentration, which we know is linked in many cases to diet. They’re ‘wired’ basically!
We all know about the obvious products to avoid. Sunny Delight is a horror story, Ribena toothkind that is in fact extremely unkind, all manner of wotsits, cheesy or otherwise, and indeed any crisps (particularly cheese flavoured) contain E621. You’ll know E621 as monosodium glutamate, but its only fairly recently that I realised just how terrifying many so called ’safe’ children’s foods are. Even milk, that childhood staple, can sometimes contain a debilitating organism which is linked to digestive problems in children, and the so called ‘gender-bending chemicals’ linked to cancer and damaged sexual development have been identified in everyday food from canned beans to fish.
You’d think the average fish finger would be ok wouldn’t you? Not so - they contain modified starch which is a thickening agent and is basically empty bulk and two of the chemicals often used are ‘epichlorohydrin’ and ’propylene oxide’, which are suspected of causing cancer. And guess what - the manufacturers don’t have to tell you. The labels on fish fingers may say they contain ‘natural’ colours such as curcumin, – ‘natural’ sounds good doesn’t it? Sadly its really E100 and can damage animal genes, and is found in foods kids love, including most biscuits and sweets. Another scary additive is E150 or caramels. They’re also usually described as ’natural’ on labels, but are almost always made from ammonia and are found
in hundreds of foods from hamburgers and colas to chocolate ice cream.
I’m no domestic goddess believe me, but I’ve realised that the only way to avoid these hazards is to get into the kitchen and learn to cook with the kids. That way you know exactly what’s in the food and snacks you eat. I’ve bought a blender to make delicious fruit smoothies and I often sneak in the odd bit of calcium rich tofu.
I’m gonna keep my kids sweet and ban all E numbers from the house. As for fast food outlets and takeaways….don’t even get me started!!
Janey Lee Grace is a mum of two boys under 5 and is expecting her third baby in October. She presents the Early Saturday show on Radio 2, 3-6am and co-hosts Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio 2, Mon-Fri 2-5pm.
