Resources to Help You Go All Natural
Here’s the deal – I keep our family as all-natural as I can. That means no artificial colours or flavours, no artificial sweeteners (even the “natural” ones like Stevia and Sucralose), as little preservatives as possible (BHA, BHT, etc), no artificial MSG (a food additive and flavour enhancer), or high fructose corn syrup (HFCs) whenever possible.
Aside from the myriad of health risks associated with these ingredients (and the fact that we think they’re “yuck,” as my Grandma would have said), we’ve found that autism and artificial ingredients don’t mix. Autism brings so many challenges to the table, there’s no reason to add more that can easily be eliminated.
I’m not suggesting everyone needs to ditch all the food in the pantry and go full-hippy here. Browse through these resources, take what relates to you and leave the rest. Every little bit counts.
This page will be updated as necessary, so keep checking back! (and please feel free to submit your own!)
Blogs
Eating Rules – “Health and nutrition information is complicated. Eating healthfully doesn’t have to be.”
Food in Jars – Want to ditch preservatives completely? Start canning! From simple to complicated, Food in Jars has you covered. Or jarred.
The Seasonal Gourmet – “The goal of The Seasonal Gourmet is to feature the best of our seasons without resorting to a lot of convenience (ie. processed) foods or hard-to-find, expensive ingredients. And you won’t need a degree in culinary arts – after all, if I can do it, so can you!”
Resources
The Feingold Association – Proven dietary solutions to behaviour, learning, and health problems.
The Science of Cooking – Get your kids into science through cooking… or the other way around!
Apps for your smart phone and iPad
E Food Additives – “E Food Additives contains valuable reference information about food additives and any potential harm to your health. Most food additives are considered safe but some are known to cause side effects such as allergic reactions and even to be carcinogenic and toxic. Sometimes your own dietary requirements based on life-choices or medical conditions require you to be familiar with the contents of your food. E Food Additives will help you quickly and easily make knowledgeable decisions about what to buy and eat.”
Articles of Note
TLC – “How bad for you is high fructose corn syrup?”
TLC – “How artificial sweeteners work”
