When you’re on the go, it’s tempting you give your child a prepackaged snack, like crackers, a granola bar, or fruit snacks. These things are all convenient, and they definitely do the job in a pinch. But they’re really not very good for your child’s teeth. After consuming something that contains sugar, your child should rinse their mouth within half an hour of eating the sugary food, to help prevent cavities. This applies to anything with sugar; however, there are a few fruits out there that will satisfy your little one’s sweet tooth, but also be great for their teeth.
Apples
Apples are high in fiber. Fruits and veggies that are high in fiber naturally clean the teeth as they’re being eaten, which makes an apple the perfect on the go snack for your children. The skin is one of the most important parts of the apple; it scrubs up against your teeth, gums, and tongue to remove surface stains and fight plaque build up. Apples also help fight bad breath, which is an added bonus. For an easier on the go snack for younger children, try slicing the apple and tossing them in lemon juice to keep the slices from oxidizing.
Kiwi
Kiwis have a high fiber content, and are absolutely packed with calcium. Calcium is one of the main components that make up the human tooth, which means that finding natural ways to include calcium into your children’s diet is a great idea! Kiwi’s also help strengthen enamel.
Strawberries
This fibrous berry is great for the teeth and gums. Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, which helps your body produce collagen. Collagen is one of the vital proteins that maintain the strength of your gums.
Avoid dried fruits and citrus
One of the great things about all of the fruits we’ve mentioned, is that they’re high in fiber. When a fruit is dehydrated or dried, you lose a lot of that fiber. Most dried fruits also have added sugar to them, making them a not very healthy snack alternative. Dried fruit also is devoid of the water that makes fruit so healthy, so you’re really just eating a mouthful of sugar with very few of the benefits, when you eat dried fruit.
The acid in citrus wears away the enamel on the teeth, through a process called demineralization. Always make sure to rinse your mouth for 30 seconds after eating any foods high in citric acid, to help protect the integrity of the enamel on your teeth.
