Back to School Snacks for Healthy Teeth

It’s back to school time and parents know what that means. A new adventure awaits, complete with its own unique set of challenges and routines to navigate. It’s rarely easy and that’s why we put together a list of smart snacks that will bolster your children with healthy energy. After all, who wouldn’t want to prevent the mid meltdown realization that you don’t have anything to feed them or worse yet what you do have will give them a wild rush followed by a massive crash?

Meal planning is incredibly important. A few minutes putting a plan together can save you a lot of time and headaches down the road. When establishing food options for your children bear in mind a range of nutrients help to support good learning and physical growth.  Here are our tips for pediatric dental care:

Plan healthy snacks for your children’s teeth

Other than nutrition, is there a reason to plan snacks ahead of time? Absolutely! When children eat sweets, the bacteria in plaque changes the sugar and starch into damaging acids that attack the tooth’s enamel. Recurring attacks can eventually result in cavities. Planning meals consisting of little to no sugars are going to make for better overall health and fewer trips to the dentist. 

Children benefit from eating meals with small snacks in between. Choosing raw fruits and vegetables with a small protein portion is a great option for snacks.  Meals should be balanced for (complex) carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins. The new Canada food guide provides a helpful overview of how to manage your meals. Bear in mind food choices are also important for your teeth. Choosing fruits and vegetables of different colours is a simple and fun way to get a variety of benefits from your meals while expanding your children’s culinary horizons. If you’re having trouble finding a portable small protein than look no further than beans and peas, nuts, and seeds. Even scrambled eggs can be put into a small container easily. 

Are fruit snacks bad for teeth?

One question that we get asked often is “Are fruit snacks bad for teeth?” With so many proclaiming to use natural fruit juices and vitamins, it’s a very valid question. In small amounts, they can be a fun treat but shouldn’t be considered a viable snack as the sugar content is far too high. Welsch’s had a class-action lawsuit filed against them for “deceptive practices in misrepresenting the fruit content and the nutritional and health qualities.” If you’re wondering how much sugar is that actually, we have your answer. A single serving of the Apple Orchard Medley flavor of Welch’s Fruit Snacks contains 11 grams, that’s nearly three teaspoons of sugar!

Encourage brushing teeth at school

It also doesn’t hurt to bring a travel toothbrush for a post-meal cleanup. Starting healthy habits early will lead to healthy habits later in life. We hope this helps jumpstart some inspiration into your meal planning. If you have any questions you can always give Lewis Estates Dental Centre a call at  (587) 200-9419.