Finding foods that your children love, that are healthy too, can be a real challenge. When shopping for your children’s food, you try to pick out healthy foods that you hope they’ll like. But did you know some of these foods you thought were healthy can actually cause damage to your loved one’s teeth? Keep reading to learn about some foods that are known to be healthy, which are actually terrible for kid’s teeth from a trusted pediatric dentist.
Granola
Granola, typically advertised as a healthy snack or breakfast, contains hidden amounts of sugars and fats. If you do choose to give your child granola, choose products with the highest amount of fiber and lowest amount of sugar. That way, your child can get the dietary benefits of granola with out putting their teeth at risk.
Sports Drinks
Usually marketed as a healthy way to recover from a workout or to give your child their necessary electrolytes, sports drinks or enhanced water contains high amounts of sugar. Even brands like Vitamin Water that look like they are healthy contain large amounts of sugar that coat the teeth and cause decay.
Your best bet is to stick to water for your child. Most tap water contains fluoride, which is a natural cavity-fighting mineral. Water also will naturally keep their mouth hydrated and wash away excess food debris and plaque.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit may seem like a healthy snack for your loved ones, but they contain much more sugar than their natural counterparts. Additionally, natural fruits contain water that make them much healthier compared to dried fruits. So, stick to natural fruits for your kids. They may not be as convenient, but they’re much better for your son or daughter’s oral and overall health.
Trail Mix
Trail mix is a great snack to hand your kids instead of a bag of potato chips, but you should still watch out for the ingredients in the mix that you choose. Try to avoid trail mix with dried fruit, chocolate, or candy to give your kids a healthy snack. Look for nutty, unflavored mixes for your loved ones.
Smoothies
Smoothies can be a great way to get your kids the nutritional value of fruit. But, improperly made smoothies can be damaging to your kid’s oral health. When buying your smoothie ingredients stay away from sugar, figs, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates, and cherries because these fruits all have high amounts of sugar.
Use these tips to keep your child’s stomach full without doing any damage to their teeth. Getting them in these healthy habits will set them up for oral health success down the road.
Meet the Dentist
With a pediatric certification from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Dr. Lily provides quality care to her child patients in Garland. She stays up-to-date on the latest techniques in dentistry through membership in various pediatric dentistry organizations. She currently practices at Shiny Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in Garland, and she can be contacted through her website or by phone at (469) 925-0861 for any questions.