Now that the summer is coming to an end and the school year is getting started most parents are out making sure that the kids are ready. There are lots of errands to run to get new clothes and supplies. The other aspect of preparing for a new school year is the food preparation. Many kids like certain types of foods in their lunch and for their breakfast. Most houses have foods prepared so that the kids can get their lunch packed and be fulfilled and able to last the day. The food that you pack in your kids lunches could be helping energize them or could be causing trouble for them. Not only for their overall health but their oral health as well. You want to make sure that you are prepared to make better choices when it comes to their lunch and snack options this school year. Smile Reef lists food to avoid packing in school lunches and serving as snacks.
Drink Water. Soda & Sugary Drinks Cause Tooth Decay!
One of the items you want to make sure you find a healthy substitute for is the drinks that are being put in your kids lunches. It is so simple to go out and buy a sugary pouch or grab a soda to place in the lunch box. These sugary drinks that you are putting in their lunch taste great but they are chock full of chemicals and sugar. After lunch your kids are not going to brush their teeth so this is stuck on all day. That is why the best thing you can do is switch these out with a bottle of water. The water can have flavoring added to it to make it more appealing. You might want to offer lemon or even low calorie fruit drink additions. Once your child gets used to it they will not miss the sugary drinks at all.
Choose Fruit Over Sticky Candy that Damages Teeth
It is very easy to buy pouches of snacks that you can quickly throw in the lunch box. These are usually sticky candies that can be attached to the teeth and cause some sugary deposits that will lead to decay. The sticky candy is a bad treat to have even though they are easy. The better option that you can choose is to use fruits or you can use dried fruit if you have a kids that prefer. If you bag lunches up in advance, fruit can be just as easy to have ready to go.
White Bread Can Cause Tooth Decay. Offer Wheat or Rye Instead
It seems that an all time staple in kids lunch is to throw in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Although this is a great option one of the components that you are likely using can be bad. If you are using a standard white bread you could be damaging your kids teeth. Soft white bread sticks to the roof of your mouth as well as your teeth. This is creating a place for bacteria to gather and infect the gums and teeth. You want to make sure that you choose a different type of bread such as wheat and rye.
Pediatric Dentistry
Smile Reef can help to keep your child’s teeth protected through the school year. Call us today to schedule your child’s next dental appointment.
