Natural dyes for your children's recipes

Artificial dyes are one of the chemical compounds to avoid in the 21st century, since, by not providing flavor or aroma or increasing the useful life of food, they do not stop be a purely aesthetic additive. Moreover, some of them, such as tartrazine (E102), are harmful to health, since it is extens

Artificial dyes are one of the chemical compounds to avoid in the 21st century, since, by not providing flavor or aroma or increasing the useful life of food, they do not stop be a purely aesthetic additive. Moreover, some of them, such as tartrazine (E102), are harmful to health, since it is extensively related to headaches, hyperactivity and insomnia in children, its use being prohibited in children under 3 years of age in some European countries. .

What natural alternatives do parents have? In Guiainfantil.com we tell you what natural colors you can use in your recipes.

Dangers of artificial colors

In addition to yellow tartrazine, the dye E110, which provides an orange color in foods, could cause kidney damage at high concentrations, although its use is relatively safe at the concentrations used in the food industry.

The coloring E124, which provides red color to foods, could be related to hyperactivity disorders in childhood, as well as producing adverse reactions in people sensitive to salicylic acid, and has been banned in some countries of the European Union.

However, the relevant organizations have not made any modification of the daily amount considered safe, since there is not enough evidence to ensure that the changes in behavior are due to the consumption of this dye. However, although there is no scientific evidence to show that it produces hyperactivity, the consumption of E124, as well as other dyes such as E129, could trigger its appearance in children genetically predisposed to it.

Healthy natural colorants for the whole family

In an attempt to avoid the use of these and other artificial colors, and in products made at home, natural alternatives can be used that provide the desired colors without adding any risk to health.

Although there are other alternatives, such as raspberries, unlike these, beets provide a red or pink color without adding almost flavor to the food. In a similar way, blueberries or blackberries can be used to provide colors of the range of blues and purples, although the star in this case is the red cabbage. As such, this food provides an intense purple color, while, adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water, it turns blue.

The carrot is very useful if the color you want to get is orange. As for the flavor, the carrot has a slight sweet touch, although it does not have to be inappropriate even if the dish is salty. Citrus fruits, despite the intensity of the orange or yellow color of their skin or their pulp, are not very useful as food coloring.

To provide a yellow color, saffron or turmeric are the most appropriate, although unfortunately they do provide flavor to the food, so you have to be careful with the whole dish.

As for the color green, spinach, although it seems incredible, does not provide any flavor to food, so they can be used without fear even in sweet dishes. Chlorophyll is, in particular, the one that provides this intense color, and can also be incorporated as such into the food, since liquid chlorophyll is a fairly accessible additive.