I’ve always considered my diet to be healthier than most. I grew up eating grilled chicken, egg whites, and turkey sandwiches with the occasional pizza, drinks, and fast food. Despite not eating many fruits and vegetables, I placed a strong emphasis on nutritious meals and snacks. And as someone who loves to exercise and never stops moving, I relied on eating “well” to fuel my body.
My knowledge and opinions on healthy eating came from my family, friends, coaches, doctors, and other common sources. I researched extensively about the best foods for energy, weight-loss, health, and curing IBS/other digestive issues. It was important for me to learn about the food topics I valued. But while I’ve always known a lot about food, I never knew that the ingredients of food and our choice of brands really matter.
Eliminating preservatives from my diet has increased my knowledge and altered my opinions of food. It was shocking to learn how many preservatives are in the food we eat everyday. Not only are they in fast food, alcohol, and protein bars, but also in flours, salt, and sugar. The most important step to changing my diet began with understanding preservatives and their role in food.
Why Are Preservatives Added to Foods?
Preservatives are added to food to make them last long, to prevent bacteria growth, or to improve appearance. Believe it or not, salt is one of the most common preservatives. If you’re unfamiliar with how preservatives help extend shelf life, check out this very helpful article from Chemical Safety Facts. Here are some examples of commonly preserved foods:
- Pre-cut fruits and potatoes
- Breads
- Meats, especially chicken and fish
- Olives, pickles, and other jarred food
- Dried fruit
- Cured meats
- Jelly and jams
- Cookies and baked goods
If you’re thinking to yourself that you don’t really eat preservatives, think again. Preservatives are disguised under more friendly names like “natural flavors.” Even labels that say “no added preservatives” or “no artificial preservatives” often contain preservatives. Next time you’re in the grocery store, try to find food without “citric acid” or “xanthan gum.” Trust me, it’s not easy. And if you haven’t already, check out my full list of ingredients that can contain sulfites and are used as preservatives.
Any food that is “fragile” or doesn’t have a long shelf life will contain a preservative. There are both natural and synthetic preservatives. Sulfites, lemon juice, rosemary extract, sugar, and salt are naturally occurring preservatives. Synthetic preservatives include nitrates, sulfites, binders, and gums. Natural or not, preservatives are often processed with chemicals or manufactured solely for food preservation.
Shifting to a Preservative Free Diet
Being able to identify preservatives in food made it easier to avoid them. But with the long lists of foods that weren’t safe and brands that were misleading, how did I figure out what to eat? Here are some of the next challenges I faced:
- Finding brands that truly didn’t use preservatives.
- Identifying filling, nutritionally dense food.
- Learning how to travel and leave my house comfortably (yes, seriously).
- Knowing the signs of a mild, severe, and anaphylactic reaction!
There was no point in wasting time feeling sad or sorry for myself, so I faced these challenges head on. I began researching, talking to others, and learning as much as I could.
The first food step I took was eliminating snacks and pre-packaged food. Think of the foods you perceive as “unhealthy” (ex: oreos, chips, ice cream, McDonald’s, etc.). After removing these from my diet, I was eating yogurt with granola or apples, sunbutter, and organic rice cakes for breakfast, vice versa for lunch, and chicken, rice, potatoes, and pasta for dinner. Sliced bread, cheeses, crackers, english muffins, and “organic” snacks were still part of my diet and I would later learn these all had preservatives.
My reactions became less severe, but I still experienced regular difficulty breathing, lip and mouth numbness, rashes, fatigue, anxiety, and headaches. Below is a picture of an “accidental” poisoning after a “sulfite free” dinner.
One Step Further
Three months in, I finally understood that I needed to make homemade bread and that organic meant nothing in terms of preservatives. Regular flour is enriched which means it’s bleached or has added ingredients to improve texture, appearance, and longevity. At this point, I bought organic and unbleached flours. I also switched from salt to sea salt and began using organic butter.
Organic snacks such as cookies, crackers and many more packaged “organic” brands are not preservative free. I stopped trusting brands claiming to be “preservative free” or “sulfite free.” Relying on my knowledge of ingredients was a priority. I incorporated GoMacro bars, homemade granola bars and protein balls, and lots of ground turkey. Next, I realized I was reacting to broccoli, peanuts, onion, garlic, and cheeses. Adding safe additions like sour cream and spices to my food was key for flavor. Dinners became my biggest meal and carrying snacks such as fruit and pistachio nuts was important.
I’d say about 80% of the time I felt good at this point, but still no doctors, dietitians, or allergists were able to help me. I was navigating this preservative free world on my own and I still couldn’t find lists or guides on what I could safely eat. My goal was to create my own preservative free list of safe foods.
6-8 months after my diagnosis I discovered that most organic cacao powders, eggs, organic ketchup, and non-organic potatoes were not safe. I had another severe anaphylactic reaction that was created by a combination of these foods. I believe the foods I avoid will continue to change, but now (1 year later), I feel I have a very safe list of foods.
Developing a Love for Preservative Free Food
I began to realize that not only was there countless safe food options, they all also happen to be delicious (see above!!)! Organic fruits like bananas, apples, blueberries and mango make the best snacks and are great in smoothies. I started eating almond butter, almonds, pistachios, pecans, and many more nuts and seeds for healthy fats. Incorporating vegetables like zucchini, green beans, spinach, and peppers was more challenging, but now I can’t get enough. I went from never eating fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and certain meats, to learning to love them all! These organic foods also happen to be the most natural, cleanest plant-based options out there.
Discovering brands such as Three Trees, Hu brand, GoRaw and King Arthur has been the best part of my experience. As someone who loves snacks, I needed chocolate and chips in my diet. I love to discover brands that are clean and contain real, raw ingredients. Most importantly, I emphasize making my meals and snacks fun. Eating preservative free doesn’t need to be boring or limiting. It’s about finding the right brands and the foods that work best for you and your body!
I’ve come a long way from my rice cake and sunbutter days. Now I get to make awesome recipes like pumpkin muffins with homemade icing and the best chewy chocolate chip cookies. Of course, on my worst days, I get very upset I can’t just order a pizza and french fries. But I know there wouldn’t be any good days without the bad!
My Takeaway
Learning to eat a preservative free, plant based diet has changed my life for the better. Physically, I’ve never felt better. Avoiding food that has made me sick for the last 10 years was key to fixing my “chronic illnesses” and symptoms. Mentally, I’ve experienced living through one of the most challenging, life-altering things to happen to me and it’s made me stronger. Most importantly, I’ve learned to eat foods without sulfites while still living life “normally” and finding joy in the little things.
Having a sulfite allergy means I don’t have a choice in avoiding preservatives. However, given the option, I don’t think I would ever go back to how I used to eat. I love being a natural eater! Once you learn about preservatives and how some of them can be harmful to your health, you feel compelled to eat better foods and brands. If you’re struggling with a sulfite allergy or if you are interested in how to eat less preservatives, reach out to me via email or on Instagram! And as always, thanks for reading!
