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Tooth-friendly snacks for children

Tooth-friendly snacks for children are great for their teeth and their overall health. Kids are super active and have small stomachs, leading them to seek out a snack every few hours. So let’s make sure they find tooth-friendly snacks. 

Tooth-Friendly Snacks for Children

According to nutrition experts, children need to eat every three to four hours to satisfy their nutritional needs. Therefore, you will want to avoid having your child dive into cookies, candy, and soda to satisfy that appetite. In addition, these types of foods can lead to dental issues such as dental cavities. 

Tooth-Friendly Snacks for Children

Our kid-friendly and tooth-friendly snacks for children include fresh fruits high in fiber like apples, bananas, oranges, and strawberries. The easiest way to get them to eat more fruits is to display them for easy access. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table. You can learn more about tooth-friendly snacks for children by following this link.

Raw Veggies Are Yummy

The good news is that vegetables provide essential nutrients for growth and development. The bad news is that some kids welcome vegetables and new foods, while others may need repeated exposure or different preparations. So the first step is to keep a small container of fresh veggie snacks, like carrots, celery sticks, and broccoli florets, at a kids-eye level in the fridge. Next, make sure your children have the option of pairing vegetables with dips or hummus for a yummy and satisfying snack. 

High Protein Snacks Paired with Fiber Are Filling

Snacks high in protein help your child feel full because protein reduces your level of the hunger hormone ghrelin, slows digestion, and stabilizes your blood sugar levels. For example, you can try low-fat cheese and pear slices, reduced-sodium sliced turkey breast wrapped around apple slices. Turkey roll-ups are a tasty and nutritious high protein snack of cheese and veggies wrapped inside slices of turkey breast. Other options include low-fat yogurt, fruit, and nuts. Instead, celery sticks are filled with almond butter and sprinkled with dried cranberries and chopped pistachios. 

Snacks to Trash

The following list of foods are items we don’t recommend being offered as snacks. Avoid cereals high in added sugars, marshmallows, candy bars, doughnuts, cakes, tarts, pies, pastries, fruit roll-ups, cookies, and soft drinks.

Increase Calcium and Vitamin D Intake

Calcium and vitamin D are great companions and good for the body. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium and can aid in building strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium from your diet. Keep your refrigerator full of fortified milk and dairy products. You can also include eggs, salmon, sardines, and mackerel in your child’s diet to get the most Vitamin D.

The Right Kind of Candy

You can barely ever keep children away from candy. So, stock your refrigerator with better choices. Then, satisfy your kid with a small piece of dark chocolate or Xylitol candies made with sugar replacements. These can help you keep your child smiling, content, and strong.  Schedule your next dental cleaning for your child, so our team can perform an oral examination.