With the second half of the 2013-2014 school year in full swing, parents everywhere face the task of packing kids’ lunches with healthy, tasty snacks. As you stare down grocery aisles stocked with sugary, salty packaged foods, the task seems almost impossible. Not so, says Dr. Amanda Foust, a general dentist in Alkeny IA, but she notes that appearances can be deceiving. For example, many parents view sugar as the enemy, but few realize that starches have similar effects on children’s teeth.
Pretzels: The New Potato Chips?
You know that salt and fat make potato chips a non-nutritious addition to your child’s lunchbox, but surely pretzels are a suitable alternative? Wrong. True, pretzels lack the oily residue that coats chip-munchers’ fingers, but what do they add from a nutritional perspective? Little or nothing, according to Dr. Foust. Instead, offer foods that combine a satisfying crunch with essential vitamins and a boost of natural energy. Celery sticks, baby carrots, and apple slices deliver on both counts, but offer dips and sauces sparingly, as they usually contain large amounts of oil and sugar.
Packaged Fruit Snacks: Fruit Without the Fiber
The combination of sweet and fruity flavors, bright colors, and beloved cartoon characters makes fruit snacks a lunchtime favorite. Dr. Foust cautions that while some natural fruit snacks really do deliver on the health front, most strike out with dyes, wax, and high-fructose corn syrup. The gummy texture coats children’s teeth, ensuring ample fuel for the bacteria that contribute to plaque formation. The best source of fruity flavor? Real fruits, such as grapes, oranges, bananas, and pears. Even real fruit contains sugar, however, so your child should always rinse or brush after eating fruits. Sites like Pinterest offer hundreds of recipes for healthy, homemade treats that contain fruit.
Snack Cakes: Desserts, NOT Snacks
While Little Debbie might tell you otherwise, snack cakes have no place in a nutritious lunch. Sugar, food dyes, fat, oils, and loads of preservatives make these packaged goodies best reserved for an occasional treat. Instead, substitute naturally sweetened, low-fat dairy products, which build up strong teeth and bones with calcium and vitamin D. Yogurt is an excellent choice, but check the label beforehand, as many manufacturers add significant amounts of sugar and dyes. Yogurt-based dips also complement fresh fruit and vegetables without adding too much fat.
In addition to children’s dentistry services, Dental Impressions serves your entire family with cosmetic and general procedures, including crowns, fillings, periodontal therapy, and screenings for oral cancer.
About Dr. Amanda Foust: Dr. Foust, a mother of two and graduate of the University of Iowa School of Dentistry, understands the challenges of keeping children’s teeth clean and strong. She provides family-friendly dental care to patients living in and around Ankeny, Bondurant, Elkhart, and Alleman. Contact our office at 515-965-0230 to schedule an appointment or request a consultation.
