It seems like most commercials for oral hygiene products focus only on brushing and flossing for keeping our children’s mouths free of cavities and gum disease. Of course, this is true and necessary, but it’s also a selling tactic. What they fail to mention is that what we put in our mouths is just as important! Certain foods help prevent cavities and gum disease while others contribute to them.
This is especially true for children whose teeth tend to be much more susceptible to cavities. Nutritious meals and snacks and drinking lots of water can make a big difference in your child’s oral and overall health.
At Magic Smiles, our children’s dentist is passionate about helping parents find practical ways to support their child’s oral health. In this blog, we offer information about how snacking can make or break a smile and healthy snack ideas.
The Dangers of Sugars in Snacks
Unfortunately, many of the most convenient snacks we offer our children are full of sugar that is sometimes disguised as high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrate, and sucrose. Look for these names on food labels before buying those seemingly healthy snacks at the grocery store!
Children are only supposed to eat 25 grams of sugar per day. When hidden sugars aren’t considered, a child can easily eat and drink three times that! Along with contributing to gum disease and cavities, consuming too much sugar can lead to the following overall health problems:
- Acne
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Depression
- Low energy
- Impaired memory
- Heart disease
- Fatty liver
Thankfully, we can help our children avoid these negative consequences by being just a little more conscious about the foods and beverages we offer them.
Tips for Reducing Sugar Consumption
One of the best ways to limit your child’s sugar intake is to eat more whole, unprocessed foods. This means more fruits and vegetables, and fewer foods that come in a package. Other ways to limit sugar include:
- Offer more water and less juice
- Use Stevia as a sweetener
- Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate
- Use bananas and apple sauce for sweetening desserts
- Look for “zero added sugars” on food labels
Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids
Nutritious snacks come in four categories: fruits, veggies, protein, and calcium. When you stick to these food groups, it’s hard to go wrong! Here are some of our favorite snack ideas (we think your little one will love them, too!):
Fruits and Veggies
- Celery and apples with natural peanut butter
- Kale, zucchini, and sweet potato chips
- Hummus with peppers, carrots, and celery
- Guacamole with corn chips or pita wedges
- Fruit smoothie
Protein
- Beef jerky
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Plain Greek yogurt (add fruit and peanut butter)
- Roasted chickpeas
Calcium
- Apples with almond butter
- Scrambled eggs with cheese
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Almonds
- Fortified orange juice
- A glass of milk
Children’s Dentist in Woolgoolga
At Magic Smiles, our team is proud to offer dentistry for children between the ages of 2 and 17. We understand what it takes to make the dentist’s office comfortable and fun so that little ones enjoy coming back!
Along with encouraging and teaching about good oral hygiene at home, we urge parents to bring their children to the dentist every six months for cleanings and preventative treatments.
To learn more about our team or to schedule an appointment with our children’s dentist, call (02) 6654-0650 today!
