It's February 1st, your children are at home with you being home-schooled as you (try and) work from home. You are just about getting through the day and the last thing you want to think about is what they are eating. But do you find that they are snacking all day long and are never full? Do you find that you can't keep them away from sweet treats? Are you worried about their teeth?
Well, you are not alone and here are my top tips to help you Spring Forward into action to try and keep their cravings at bay and protect their teeth from long term damage.
Fuel your children with good foods. Start the day with a breakfast that will help stave off the hunger. Porridge is an ideal choice. Another addition to the cereal market is quinoa crunch. oats and quinoa are full of B vitamins and are slow release carbohydrates. This will help keep your children energised and that hunger at bay.
2. Avoid adding sugar or honey to foods. Many people think that honey is a better alternative to sugar when it come to teeth, but actually, the body processes artificially occurring sugars the same way as it processed natural occurring sugars. Sugar in the mouth feeds the bacteria, that then creates the acid that cause cavities. The less you add sugar or honey to foods, the better your child becomes at eating or drinking foods and drinks with no sugar added.
3. For drinks, stick to water and milk only. The water or milk should not be flavoured as these can contain lots of sugar also. We all know that fizzy drinks like cola are very high in sugar, but did you know that fruit juices are also laden with sugar and acid? As fruit juices have very little nutritional value, your child is better off eating a piece of fruit to get the added benefit of vitamins and fibre to help fill them up! Beware fruit cordials with "No Added Sugar" on the label. This does not mean that the drink is sugar free- only that the manufactured of the drink did not add sugar.
4. Be mindful of the snacks your child is eating. Keep sweet foods consumed during the day to mealtimes only. Choose healthy snack options that are kind teeth like; oatcakes, cheese , carrot sticks. Avoid high sugar snacks like raisins, low fat yoghurts, chocolate milk, nutella spread and "sucky" sweets. Raisin are very high in sugar and sticky making them a food that dentists don't approve of! Sweets that stay in the mouth for a long time e.g. lollipops and sticky toffees also contribute greatly to dental decay.
5. Ensure that your child's dinner includes lots of vegetables especially, green leafy vegetables which are full of iron. This will help reduce fatigue in your child and recent studies also show that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits helps the mouth against gum disease!
With all this in mind, as dentists, we understand the pressure parents are under at the moment. We want to help prevent your children from tooth decay, pain and dental treatment.
If you have any questions, please contact our dental team at Northumberland Dental Care or email us in info@nidm.ie and we hope to be able to help you!
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