Teeth-friendly snacks for kids
As a mother of a toddler, I know that young children are always on the go, and therefore require lots of snacks during the day. It can be easy to start giving kids snack foods that are more convenient, but may not be as healthy.
I thought I’d give you some suggestions for snacks that are good for kids’ teeth.
- Cheese sticks. Apart from the benefits for bone health, cheese has also been shown to reduce the pH in the mouth, which will help to prevent tooth decay.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh produce is always going to be a much healthier snack than any processed foods which may have hidden sugars added. My only recommendation here is to avoid excessive citrus fruit consumption due to the high acid content in these fruits.
- Plain popcorn. Try to pop your own (it’s really easy and also a cheaper alternative). That way you can be sure there isn’t any added sugar or salt, and it will still be a totally natural snack. Don’t allow your child to bite on any un-popped pieces of corn as this could damage their teeth.
- Encourage drinking water or milk over drinking juices or flavoured water.
- Plain yoghurt with berries.
- Avocado on rye bread toast. We like this with some Vegemite too.
