A Guide to Healthier At-Home Snacks for Kids

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When you think of keeping your child’s smile healthy, good dental hygiene may be the first thing that comes to mind. While it’s important, however, hygiene isn’t the only thing your child needs to maintain a healthy smile. During this time when all of us are spending much more time at home, we take a look at a few ways you can use the time to introduce a healthier snacking routine for your children, and help improve their oral health by improving the quality of their nutrition.

What to leave out

Before exploring what’s healthy for your child’s teeth, it’s worth noting some of the unhealthiest things their teeth might be exposed to. The most infamous culprit is sugar, which can pose a direct threat to the health of the enamel around your child’s teeth. This means you should start eliminating, or at least severely cutting down on, things like sodas and high-sugar fruit juices. Candies, chips, cookies, bags of processed snacks, and pre-packaged lunch kits are also packed with sugars and processed carbs that can have the same effect.

What to include

Food that comes in packages are more convenient to serve your children, but they don’t do their teeth any good. Aside from the high sugar and acid content that many of them have, they also lack essential nutrients like calcium, phosphate, and the assortment of vitamins that your child’s teeth and oral structures depend on. For healthier snack choices that actually help boost your child’s oral health, consider adding more of the following to their snack schedule:

  • More dairy products – Calcium and phosphate are two of the most notable mouth-healthy nutrients because they’re two of the largest building blocks of healthy tooth enamel. Dairy products, including milk, cheese, fat-free yogurt, and more, typically contain plenty of calcium, phosphate, and other important minerals and nutrients that your child’s teeth need ample amounts of to stay strong.
  • More fruits and natural foods – If your child has a sweet tooth, then introduce them to a variety of fruits to help appease it naturally. Try a different fruit for each snack, and get creative with the fruits that your child likes most. For example, apples dipped in peanut butter can provide a filling, healthy snack and is generally much safer for your child’s teeth than any processed treat.

Learn about keeping kids’ smiles healthy

In addition to helping your child stick to a good dental hygiene routine, it’s also important to introduce healthier snacking options, especially while at home. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.

filed under: Nutrition