Parents are very aware of the part their child’s diet plays when it comes to good oral health. Granola bars are advertised as healthy what parents don’t realize is that these so called healthy snacks can contribute to tooth decay.
Often thought of as a better cereal choice with milk or yogurt granola can be quite high in sugar and fat content. The added sugar can lead to tooth decay and the density in calories can leave them feeling hungry and prone to overeat. Parents need to be sure to check labels and choose one higher in fiber with a lower sugar content.
Replacing unhealthy snacks with a trail mix may seem like good alternative but as with granola watch for the sugar content. Try to avoid trail mix with chocolate, dried fruit or candy and look for one with healthier ingredients.
Fruit is always a good snack for children so it should follow that dried fruit makes an equally good snack. The reality is that dried fruit contains higher levels of sugar than fresh fruit so you may want to avoid it altogether.
Granola
Often thought of as a better cereal choice with milk or yogurt granola can be quite high in sugar and fat content. The added sugar can lead to tooth decay and the density in calories can leave them feeling hungry and prone to overeat. Parents need to be sure to check labels and choose one higher in fiber with a lower sugar content.
Trail Mix
Replacing unhealthy snacks with a trail mix may seem like good alternative but as with granola watch for the sugar content. Try to avoid trail mix with chocolate, dried fruit or candy and look for one with healthier ingredients.
Dried Fruit
Fruit is always a good snack for children so it should follow that dried fruit makes an equally good snack. The reality is that dried fruit contains higher levels of sugar than fresh fruit so you may want to avoid it altogether.
Smoothies
A refreshing glass of fruit and greek yogurt blended together is a great way to enjoy the nutritious benefits of fruit. Some fruits have high sugar content so avoid gigs, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates and cherries in your smoothie.
Nutritional Waters
Advertised as a healthy water, these enhanced waters contain more sugar than the recommended daily amount for an adult. This high sugar content cancels out any so called benefit better to drink a glass of water.
Citrus Fruit
A serving of fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals for your children to have as a healthy snack. You will want to limit citrus varieties due to the acidity in oranges and lemons for example.
At Smiletown Dentistry we can offer lots of ideas for healthier snacks to offer your children.
