Summer is quickly approaching which means shuttling kids to soccer practice, busy days at dance recitals, sleepovers, and convenient snacks and meals in-between. Handing your kids pre-packaged snacks or stopping at the drive-thru saves time, but these snacks tend to contain larger amounts of calories and sugar which can lead to pesky cavities.
Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center recognizes that it’s easy to offer these foods to your children. But providing a delicious snack they’ll love, and that keeps their teeth clean, can be quick and simple! We’re highlighting some of the best healthy snacks for kids this summer.
Cheese and Yogurt
Cheese and yogurt contain calcium which help teeth grow up strong. These snacks also contain casein, a protein that strengthens tooth enamel which helps prevent cavities. Best of all, cheese and yogurt come in fun forms like String Cheese and Go-GURT. Just be careful to check for the sugar content before picking it up off the shelves! When you pack your kid’s lunch or make a snack, consider adding yogurt or cheese slices to their meals.
Fruits and Veggies
It’s no surprise that fruits and veggies are a great snack for multiple reasons. They’re healthy, provide nutrients from an essential food group and help keep teeth clean! Apples naturally clean the teeth as children bite into them and introduce fiber into their diet. Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center recommends replacing dessert with apples. You can even give your kid a side of sugar-free yogurt to dip the apples in.
Nuts
When your kids are craving something salty, skip the potato chips and replace them with nuts. Nuts are a great source of protein and often contain less salt and calories than chips. Your mouth creates extra saliva while chewing nuts, which naturally protects and cleans your teeth.
Little Ones
A great snack for your littler ones who haven’t developed all their teeth is soft foods like avocados, steamed sweet potatoes and bananas. These snacks don’t leave harmful residue and provide great nutritional benefits.
Lose the Juice!
Dr. Camps Pediatric Dental Center isn’t saying lose the juice entirely! We recommend skipping the juice when it comes to bed time and give your child water instead. When you give your kids juice at night in a bottle or sippy cup, that sugar sits on their teeth all night. This can lead to bottle rot for smaller kids and creates an ideal environment for cavities. The best drink you can give your child at night is water.
For more information on taking care of your child’s teeth or to schedule their dental visit, please visit https://www.funsmiles.com/request-an-appointment/
