You don’t need to be told that children love snacks! Yours are probably reaching in the cupboards for anything they can find, which is why you need to focus on healthy snacking. Most parents see this from a weight gain point of view. Let’s be brutally honest, we’re dealing with a serious childhood obesity problem – and this has been the case for many years now.
While obviously you should focus on healthy snacks from a weight management perspective, you can’t neglect another large elephant in the room: oral health. Young children are increasingly likely to have cavities and other dental health problems. This can be costly for you and lead to life-long issues for your child.
The last thing you need is countless trips to the dentist every few months, getting another one of your child’s teeth extracted or filled in. By the time they’re an adult, they may have barely any real teeth left! Your meals won’t typically cause oral health concerns – but snacks do. You must understand the right snacks to give your kids so their teeth remain healthy. We’ll kick things off with the top three:
Cheese
Small slices of cheese – or little wedges of snacking cheese – are excellent for kids’ teeth. Why? Because cheese contains calcium that helps fortify tooth enamel and make teeth stronger. It’s also believed that calcium helps fight off cavities and tooth erosion. This is because dairy products like cheese will neutralize acids in your mouth, which often cause cavities and other problems. Plus, cheese is high in protein – a vital nutrient your kids need to grow and develop!
Carrots, Celery, or Cucumber Sticks
To be honest, any type of vegetable stick will do here. We’ve picked these three as they’re typically the easiest to find and the tastiest for your kids. Aside from helping them get their five a day, veg sticks contain lots of water and fiber. Both are great at neutralizing the acids generated by sugars in the mouth.
Moreover, carrot and celery sticks require a lot of chewing, which stimulates saliva production. This functions as a natural way to clean their teeth during the day and washes away lots of bacteria or food particles.
Nuts
As long as you provide plain nuts, you will give your kids a very low-sugar snack. Nuts themselves don’t contain any nutrients that might protect your teeth, but they do help your kids feel full. This is thanks to the high protein and fiber content, meaning they’re less likely to reach for other snacks throughout the day.
You can also throw seeds into this category. Nuts and seeds are healthy snack options and some seeds do contain calcium – we know how beneficial this is now!
If you’re trying to satisfy your kids’ hunger cravings but don’t want to give them things that are bad for their teeth, try these three snack ideas. As with all food things, be sure they enjoy these snacks in moderation. Even “healthy” snacks can become bad for you if you eat too much.
