Along with the start of a new school year comes a lot of routine tasks you’ll be doing day-in and day-out. School pickups and drop-offs, helping with homework, and packing school lunches every day are just a few of them. Since a healthy diet is essential for your child’s dental health and overall well-being, it’s helpful to learn about good dietary choices now to start the year off right from the beginning. With a low-sugar lunch each day, regular checkups with a children’s dentist, and good oral hygiene habits at home, your child can avoid cavities and keep the amount of dental work they need to a minimum. Want to learn more? Keep reading below!
Why Is Sugar So Harmful?
Sugar seems to be in everything these days, which has serious consequences for kids. First, it greatly increases their likelihood of getting cavities because the cavity-causing bacteria in their mouth naturally like to consume sugar and carbohydrates. When there’s a steady supply available, they continually produce acids that eat away at the enamel, eventually leading to cavities.
Second, consuming sugar at every meal puts kids at risk for childhood obesity and diabetes. Having it as a treat is fine, but when it’s consumed at every meal and snack, it becomes a big problem.
Healthy, Low-Sugar Options For School Lunches
Each child has different preferences, but here’s a list of convenient, low-sugar foods to get you started:
- Nuts
- Salami
- Popcorn
- Peanut or almond butter and celery
- Boiled eggs with salt or egg salad
- Plain, sugar-free yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit (yogurts that already include fruit tend to be very high in sugar)
- Lunch meat and cheese roll-ups
- Tuna fish salad
- String cheese
- Soup
- Steamed veggies with cheese
- Olives
- Chopped up veggies with guacamole, spinach dip, or cream cheese
- Meatballs
Foods To Minimize Or Avoid In School Lunches
- Granola or trail mix
- Candy, particularly anything that sticks to the teeth such as gummy bears or jelly beans
- Dried fruit
- Juices
- Sports drinks are especially problematic because they contain both acids and sugars. Keep them to a minimum and give your child coconut water or plain water with a generous pinch of sea salt instead.
- Flavored yogurts
- Smoothies (whole fruit is better)
And, along with packing a healthy lunch each day, be sure to schedule regular checkups with a family dentist and encourage good brushing and flossing habits at home. With just these few tips, you’ll keep your child’s smile healthy the entire school year.
About the Author
Dr. Lily is a board-certified pediatric dentist and also a mother of one. She knows that good dietary choices can be a struggle for many parents and always provides tips for choosing foods that keep children’s smiles healthy. If you have any questions about healthy lunches for your kids, she can be reached via her website.