Food Lists for Dye-Free EatingC
Okay, just to let you know, this has a few notes and beginning FYI's. I will be compiling several food choices and recipes in lists that are easy to read as I continue. Bear with me!
***PLEASE NOTE: I found this awesome site Label Watch. Now you can simply look up your products on this site and see the ingredient lists! You can see if it has food dye or annatto...easy as 1...2...3! This allows me to focus on getting some simple, no food dye recipes posted instead. If you don't see your product listed, just ask. I may be able to help.
Also, don't forget about Wildtree. The Wildtree products are Certified Organic, no GMO's, no pesticides, no additives, no preservatives, no food-dyes and no irradiation. They also sell a few gluten-free products as well. Check out Wildtree HERE.***
I'll leave up the following notes for now just to give an idea of what you can do/decide for a meal:
Do you like to snack on chips? I will humbly admit, chips are a huge favorite snack in our home. Most chips contain food dyes or annatto. However, we were happy to find several that don't. They are:
CHIPS
Lay's Potato Chips. You need to check the label, because different flavors have annatto, but several don't. My son's favorite chip was the Lay's regular potato chips, so he was in luck.
Many B-b-que chips contain annatto, but Lay's are dye and annatto-free!
Lay's Sour Cream and Onion are annatto-free.
Almost always, cheese flavored chips contain dye or annatto. Make sure you check any label that advertises 'cheese-flavored'.
Frito's. Most types of these corn chips do not contain anything but the corn and oil. Even the off-brands are usually dye or annatto-free.
Pretzels. Always a safe (and probably healthier) choice! However, not the cheese flavored ones. They will contain food-dye or annatto.
Tortilla Chips. Tortilla chips are almost always safe...except the yellow corm ones. If they are 'yellow', check to make sure no dye or annatto is added. I will add some specific brand names here shortly.
So...if you want nachos, for instance, choose a dye-free/annatto-free tortilla chip and melt white cheese on top. Same thing and it tastes just as good! Sorry, no Velveeta allowed!
Do you want some salsa with that? Of course! Many, if not most, salsas are dye-free. But, if you have a favorite salsa, make sure you check the label. Anything red-colored need to be checked, because those are foods that can contain red dyes or annatto. If yours contains one or the other, then find another salsa. There are many to choose from!
Pace Picante Sauce is safe and Walmart's off-shoot of that (Great Value) is safe.
Speaking of sauce/salsa, are you planning for tacos? Yes! Use white cheese instead of yellow cheese on top. We all know Cheddar comes in white. Check the taco shells, because some have annatto in them and some don't. Some brands contain yellow dye.
For the taco spice, some brands contain annatto, some don't.
Taco Bell brand in the stores is a no-no. Both Red40 and Blue1 can be found in both the sauces and the spice ingredients.
Exception: Taco Bell Restaurant sauce is fine.
By the way, making your own taco spice is easy-peasy. Mix 1/4 teaspoon each of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes (optional); 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1 Tablespoon chili powder; 1-1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste).
(The spices in bold are a definite need in order to make taco seasoning. Make sure your red spices do not contain red dye or annatto.)
FYI: For quick-ordering and a quick-cooking option, Wildtree offers a taco sauce and a taco spice. Wildtree products are certified organic, no preservatives, no additives, GMO-free and no food-dyes (which is why I like them). It is also handy to be able to order them online which I find convenient.
***NEWS FLASH! To make my life easier, I just found this awesome site: Label Watch. You can find a lot of different food brands with a list of their ingredients. If a product has food dye or annatto, it will be listed. How awesome is this?! Check for your products using this link. If you have questions about something that isn't listed, then ask. I may be able to help. However, please note: Wildtree is NOT on the list, so don't forget to check it out HERE.***
***PLEASE NOTE: I found this awesome site Label Watch. Now you can simply look up your products on this site and see the ingredient lists! You can see if it has food dye or annatto...easy as 1...2...3! This allows me to focus on getting some simple, no food dye recipes posted instead. If you don't see your product listed, just ask. I may be able to help.
Also, don't forget about Wildtree. The Wildtree products are Certified Organic, no GMO's, no pesticides, no additives, no preservatives, no food-dyes and no irradiation. They also sell a few gluten-free products as well. Check out Wildtree HERE.***
I'll leave up the following notes for now just to give an idea of what you can do/decide for a meal:
Do you like to snack on chips? I will humbly admit, chips are a huge favorite snack in our home. Most chips contain food dyes or annatto. However, we were happy to find several that don't. They are:
CHIPS
Lay's Potato Chips. You need to check the label, because different flavors have annatto, but several don't. My son's favorite chip was the Lay's regular potato chips, so he was in luck.
Many B-b-que chips contain annatto, but Lay's are dye and annatto-free!
Lay's Sour Cream and Onion are annatto-free.
Almost always, cheese flavored chips contain dye or annatto. Make sure you check any label that advertises 'cheese-flavored'.
Frito's. Most types of these corn chips do not contain anything but the corn and oil. Even the off-brands are usually dye or annatto-free.
Pretzels. Always a safe (and probably healthier) choice! However, not the cheese flavored ones. They will contain food-dye or annatto.
Tortilla Chips. Tortilla chips are almost always safe...except the yellow corm ones. If they are 'yellow', check to make sure no dye or annatto is added. I will add some specific brand names here shortly.
So...if you want nachos, for instance, choose a dye-free/annatto-free tortilla chip and melt white cheese on top. Same thing and it tastes just as good! Sorry, no Velveeta allowed!
Do you want some salsa with that? Of course! Many, if not most, salsas are dye-free. But, if you have a favorite salsa, make sure you check the label. Anything red-colored need to be checked, because those are foods that can contain red dyes or annatto. If yours contains one or the other, then find another salsa. There are many to choose from!
Pace Picante Sauce is safe and Walmart's off-shoot of that (Great Value) is safe.
Speaking of sauce/salsa, are you planning for tacos? Yes! Use white cheese instead of yellow cheese on top. We all know Cheddar comes in white. Check the taco shells, because some have annatto in them and some don't. Some brands contain yellow dye.
For the taco spice, some brands contain annatto, some don't.
Taco Bell brand in the stores is a no-no. Both Red40 and Blue1 can be found in both the sauces and the spice ingredients.
Exception: Taco Bell Restaurant sauce is fine.
By the way, making your own taco spice is easy-peasy. Mix 1/4 teaspoon each of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes (optional); 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1 Tablespoon chili powder; 1-1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste).
(The spices in bold are a definite need in order to make taco seasoning. Make sure your red spices do not contain red dye or annatto.)
FYI: For quick-ordering and a quick-cooking option, Wildtree offers a taco sauce and a taco spice. Wildtree products are certified organic, no preservatives, no additives, GMO-free and no food-dyes (which is why I like them). It is also handy to be able to order them online which I find convenient.
***NEWS FLASH! To make my life easier, I just found this awesome site: Label Watch. You can find a lot of different food brands with a list of their ingredients. If a product has food dye or annatto, it will be listed. How awesome is this?! Check for your products using this link. If you have questions about something that isn't listed, then ask. I may be able to help. However, please note: Wildtree is NOT on the list, so don't forget to check it out HERE.***