The Truth About What’s in Our Food—and What Texas Is Doing About It

We all want the best for our kids. We want them to grow up strong, healthy, and happy—and most of us assume that if a food is sold in stores, especially the ones made for kids, it must be safe.

But here’s the hard truth:

That’s never really been the case.

And now, the food industry is finally being called out.

A Big Shift in the Food System: Texas Takes a Stand

On June 5, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed a landmark food labeling bill (SB 25) in Texas. The bill takes effect in September 2025, with most provisions being enforced by January 1, 2027. Any food product sold in Texas containing any of 40+ scientifically-confirmed harmful substances must be labeled:

“WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, European Union or the United Kingdom.”

That’s not a typo.

That granola bar, bright-colored cereal, or squeezable yogurt your kid loves may soon carry a warning label you’d expect to see on toxic chemicals—because many of those products contain ingredients that are banned or restricted in other countries but still allowed in the U.S.

What Are These 40+ Harmful Substances?

The list includes artificial dyes, preservatives, emulsifiers, and additives that research has linked to serious health concerns—especially in children. Here are just a few:

• Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 – linked to hyperactivity and mood issues

• Titanium Dioxide – banned in the EU, used to make foods look whiter

• BHA, BHT – preservatives known to disrupt hormones

• Potassium Bromate – found in baked goods, linked to cancer

• Propylparaben – preservative that affects the endocrine system

• Azodicarbonamide – banned overseas, found in bread and dough

These are in snacks, cereals, drinks, crackers, and even vitamins marketed to children.

How This Impacts Our Kids

Our children’s bodies are still developing. Their brains, guts, and immune systems are especially sensitive to chemicals and synthetic additives.

These ingredients have been associated with:

• Increased ADHD-like behavior and hyperactivity

• Changes in mood, attention, and sleep

• Disruption to the gut microbiome

• Hormonal imbalances

• Long-term chronic disease risk

  
  

The worst part? Most parents had no idea. These ingredients have quietly been part of our food system for decades.

This Is Frustrating—We Get It

It’s hard when you realize the foods you trusted might be causing harm.

It’s even harder when it’s your child’s favorite snack.

And it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, confused, or even a little angry.

You didn’t do anything wrong. You were doing your best with the information you had.

Now that the truth is out—we’re here to help you move forward.

Nourished Knights to the Rescue: "Armor up at the Market: Shop the Aisles like a Knight"

You don’t have to navigate your grocery store alone.

At Nourished Knights, we’ve launched a brand-new service called Grocery Quest—your personalized food shopping experience.

Here’s how it works:

1. You send us your grocery list.

2. We flag any products that contain the 40 harmful ingredients.

3. We swap them with clean, healthy alternatives your kids will actually eat.

4. We shop with you, show you the food swaps, why they’re better, and where they are located in your store. Or, we give you your shopping list updated with the healthy swaps for you to upload to your online grocery cart.

5. Moving forward you are now armed with the best food choices for your child’s growing body, and you have a greater understanding of the harmful substances in our food supply.

We’ll also help you:

• Understand ingredient labels

• Build a balanced grocery list full of real, nourishing foods

• Keep meals kid-approved and familiar (without all the harmful crap)

Because feeding your kids should be safe—not a science experiment.

Our Promise to Parents

We know the food system is confusing. It’s full of loopholes, fine print, and flashy marketing. But you deserve better—and so do your kids.

At Nourished Knights, we’re here to walk beside you. We’re parents, too. We’ve had the same struggles, the same kitchen meltdowns, and the same questions.

But here’s what we’ve learned:

When we clean up our kids’ food, we see real changes—in behavior, sleep, energy, mood, digestion, and long-term health.

One Simple Step: Start With a Swap

You don’t have to change everything overnight. Start with a few items.

Let us help you replace the worst offenders with better options.

We’ll do the heavy lifting—so you can keep doing what you do best: loving and raising strong, healthy kids. 

Want Us to Look at Your Grocery List?

Click [here] to try Grocery Quest, and let’s swap out the sneaky stuff together.

We’ve got your back—one label, one lunchbox, one meal at a time.

Because your child deserves food that fuels them—not food that harms them.

Nourished Knights

Raising Healthy Kids in a Toxic World