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What's A Kid To Eat?
Paul Andrews Gray Who likes Kool-Aid Jammers? Who likes Fruit Roll-ups and Fruit by the Foot? And what about Mug Root Beer and Sunny D?
I like all these treats because they are sweet and delicious BUT I don’t think I can eat too much of them anymore because of an article that my mom read in a magazine.
The article explained that Kool-Aid Jammers contained a preservative called Sodium Benzoate. It also has Ascorbic Acid, also known as Vitamin C. These two react and form a chemical called Benzene and Benzene can cause all kinds of cancer. You heard me! Cancer! I decided to do some research on the Internet and at the Frankford Foodland to investigate the treats we kids enjoy, what they contain and if they are any good for us. Boy was I surprised!
In Foodland, for the first time I looked at the ingredients and found that the oh so delicious treats had, for example, the Sodium Benzoate and Ascorbic Acid combination, sucralose (an artificial sweetener), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), and other unpronounceable chemicals like DiSodium Guanylate, DiSodium Inosinate, Calcium DiSodium EDTA and too many others to mention here.
Candy, pop, juices, fruit snacks, soft drinks, chips - the treats we all love are all guilty. Why would the manufacturers put these dangerous additives in our treats?
Four reasons:
1. To make them taste better 2. To make them look better 3. To make them last longer on the grocery shelf 4. To make them attractive to kids
The food company puts a commercial on TV that attracts us, and the next time we are at the grocery with Mom we nag, nag, nag until she gives in and buys it for us. We don’t care about what’s in it., we are quiet and happy again. But what do these dangerous additives do to our bodies? I found out that these additives can cause hyperactivity, problems learning at school, allergic reactions, temper tantrums, behavior problems, difficulty sleeping, and mood changes, to name a few.
I mean, these things are found in Smarties, Fruit roll-ups, Mug Root Beer, Sunny D, bubblegum, chips, cheese curls, pop, and so on... Okay, if you don’t believe me, go check for yourself.
What’s a kid to do when his or her favorite food and drinks are dangerous to his or her health? I think if you are smart you will let your moms know about this. And the next time you are at the grocery, read the ingredients of the foods that you like to eat. It will be an eye-opener, as well as heart- and stomach-breaking. We have to make good choices, not that I always do. My mom tries to keep me away from orange- and red- colored drinks because the color makes me act up.
Mom says we cannot totally avoid these food additives, but we can try to use them in moderation - that is a not-too-often-treat, rather than having them every day. After all, we are wild enough without them, she says. |