Healthy Snacks:

Grocery shopping can be a feat.  Successfully grocery shopping with your kids in tow is an even bigger feat, especially when you’re getting requests for sugar-frosted, sticky, hyperactivity-inducing treats!

As a parent, you desire to achieve a harmonious balance - fill your kid’s tummy with healthy, nutrient-packed food and enjoy some “treats” in moderation along the way.  Often, the hardest time to accomplish this first task is during snack times.

You’re caught suddenly by the all too familiar, “I’m hungry” line (only an hour after lunch, no less...sound familiar?) and you find yourself on the spot trying to find something that will satisfy their appetite.

But what kind of snacks are considered healthy and not so healthy when it comes to your child’s teeth?  Some of the answers may surprise you.

We have compiled a list of snack choices below that guide you toward teeth-friendly choices and those to limit/avoid.  No, we’re not totally out of touch with reality, but we do keep a “nice” and “naughty” list when it comes to snacks.

ENCOURAGE THESE:

Snacks to encourage that are usually safe for teeth:

Fresh Fruit:  Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Peaches, Plums, Nectarines, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Mango, Papaya, Grapefruit, Cherries

Fresh Vegetables:  Baby Carrots, Red & Green Pepper Slices, Celery, Radishes, Cucumbers Slices, Fennel Slices, Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, Edamame

Cheeses/Proteins:  Meat Slices, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Hard Cheese, String Cheese, Cheese Cubes

Party Snacks:  Nuts, Fruit with Yogurt Dip, Popcorn, Pickles, Olives, dark chocolate, hummus and veggies

Lunch box items to include:  Sandwiches, cheese, fruit, hardboiled eggs, sliced veggies, peanut butter with celery or apples, nuts, yogurt (be careful with sweeteners in yogurt), cucumbers and hummus, popcorn, water bottle

AVOID THESE:

Snacks that are harmful to teeth and promote cavities*:

Candy to Avoid: Gummy Candies, Chewy candies (now and laters, taffy, sour patch kids), Hard Candies, Fudge, Caramels, Caramel Popcorn, Lollipops, Peanut Brittle, Candy Bars, Toffee, know that sour and gummy candies are the worst combination for dental health.

Snack Foods to Avoid: Goldfish, Potato Chips, Dried Fruit (including raisins), Sweetened Cereals, Soda, granola bars, fruit snacks, juice, sweet yogurts.

Lunch Box Items to Avoid: Fruit Filled Bars, Snack Cakes, Crackers (including goldfish, grahams, cheez-its), fruit juice.

Desserts - We know they’ll eat them!  Just choose wisely.

Safer Choices: ice cream, cake, pie, popsicles, jello, pudding

Less safe: cookies, candy bars with nougat or caramel, granola bars, fruit leathers.

*Please note that the best time to give these foods is at the end of a meal.  Your child has already been eating carbohydrates, and of course, you will be more likely to brush the bad carbohydrates off right after a meal.

** Consuming drinks other than water between meals is like having a snack.  Try to encourage drinks like milk and juice to accompany mealtime instead of snack time.  You'll hear us say "Water anytime, milk with meals, juices only on special occasions!"

HELPFUL LINKS:

Infant and Toddler Nutrition | Nutrition | CDC

The Use and Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics