Good nutrition is essential for a child’s healthy growth and development. It’s also important for their dental health! A good diet can help your child build strong, healthy teeth, while poor eating habits
You may understand how important nutritious meals are, but one thing some parents struggle with is snack time. Here are our best tips on how to make sure your child’s snack time is tooth-friendly!
Not All Snacks Are Created Equal
Stay away from starchy, sticky or sugary foods during snack time, like dried fruit, crackers, chips and cookies. These types of snacks can stick to the teeth for long periods of time, potentially causing cavities. For snack time it’s best to opt for fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt
If You Indulge, Do It During Mealtime
Don’t worry, we don’t expect you or your child to never eat sweets or starches. There is a better time to eat them than at snack time, however, and that is during meals! That’s because it’s not just important what you eat, but when you eat. At mealtime, there is an increased amount of saliva in the mouth that can help wash away those starches or sugary treats, counteract acid-producing bacteria and
Watch Out For Added Sugars
Almost all foods have some type of sugar in them. Naturally occurring sugars–like those found in milk and vegetables–are less worrisome, since these choices are healthy overall. What you want to keep an eye out for when choosing snacks are added sugars.
According to the Australian Dental Association, added sugar consumption should be limited to less than 10 percent of total energy intake, ideally less than five percent. To put things in perspective, one can of soda is equivalent to three times the daily recommended sugar intake of a child!
Choose Beverages Wisely
On that note, we’d like to advise parents to choose their children’s beverages wisely. Soda and juice may be your child’s preferred drinks, but milk and water are much healthier choices. Good sources of calcium, like milk, aid in building strong teeth and bones and water helps to wash away food particles that may be clinging to teeth, thus protecting against decay.
Sip All Day, Get Decay
Whether your child is drinking milk, juice or soda, don’t let them sip it throughout the day. Constant consumption of either food or drink is harmful
Your Family’s Health Is Our Priority
At our practice, we care about the health of your whole family. Proper nutrition, especially at snack time, will ensure healthy smiles for you and your children for a lifetime!
KIDS – Healthy Kids Nurtured by Nature
p:(07) 4942 5111
e: mackay@healthykidsqld.com.au
a: 6 Discovery Lane, Mackay QLD 4740
Monday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Tuesday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Wednesday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Thursday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Saturday – CLOSED
Sunday – CLOSED
Lip and Tongue Tie Forms:
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