It’s no surprise that kids love everything colorful and fun. And when you have picky eaters, adding a bit of color to their food can help convince them to eat better. Heck, even us adults love food when its colorful and eye-catching. Not to mention cakes, cupcakes, and desserts would look just plain boring without a pop of color. But food dyes are made of chemicals. So, they are not exactly healthy. In fact, they can be quite harmful, especially to children who are prone to allergies, colds, and breathing problems. Not to worry! You can give your kids healthy food that is colorful without the use of store-bought chemical-filled food colorings. How, you ask? By making your own using natural ingredients right in your own kitchen, of course!
Pink/Red
Use frozen raspberries, or if you’re using fresh ones, place them in the freezer until frozen solid. Then all that’s left to do is puree them up and drain the seeds, and you’re good to go! You can also use beets, which will offer you the best tasteless option. Just boil some and drain the solids, or use the juice from canned beets.
Purple
Pick up some fresh blueberries, and place them in a medium saucepan with a bit of water over medium heat. Once the pan has come up to a boil, give them a thorough mash. Then let them simmer for about ten minutes on a low heat. Remove from the heat and let them cool. Strain using a fine mesh and use the drained liquid to color anything you like!
Orange
Carrots are your best bet when it comes to natural orange-colored food dye! Oranges might be called “orange”, but in reality, they probably wouldn’t give you much color. Use a juicer to juice your own fresh carrots or just use store-bought all-natural carrot juice.
Yellow
For yellow food coloring, you might have to raid your spice cupboard. Saffron and turmeric are great options to get bright-yellow colored natural food dye. You don’t need to worry about the flavors influencing your dish, as these colors are so intense that a little bit will go a long way. Be careful though, and start with a little bit at a time.
Green
You can use spinach, parsley or wheatgrass to make natural green food coloring. Just juice them up and use them as your heart desires. You can also use any other intensely-colored leafy green vegetable. How awesome would it be if you could trick your kids into eating some green vegetables along with those cupcakes?
