As a parent, you always find yourself trying to balance healthy and tasty food for your kids. Obviously, you cannot stop your child from eating sweets or cakes, but you can definitely use some tips from the dental experts for packing lunch for oral health.
Packing a lunch that promotes oral health is not only good for your teeth and gums, but it can also help keep your body healthy. Here are some tips on how to pack a lunch that promotes oral health:
- Choose foods that are low in sugar: Sugary foods and drinks can increase the risk of tooth decay. Instead, choose foods that are low in sugar such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain bread, and lean protein sources.
- Avoid sticky and chewy foods: Sticky and chewy foods such as candy and dried fruit can stick to your teeth and increase the risk of tooth decay. Choose foods that are less likely to stick to your teeth, such as apples, carrots, and nuts.
- Include calcium-rich foods: Calcium is important for strong teeth and bones. Include calcium-rich foods such as low-fat cheese, yogurt, and milk in your lunch.
- Drink plenty of water: Water helps to wash away food particles and keep your mouth hydrated. Drinking water throughout the day can help reduce the risk of tooth decay and keep your mouth healthy.
- Avoid acidic foods and drinks: Acidic foods and drinks such as citrus fruits and soda can erode tooth enamel over time. If you do consume acidic foods or drinks, rinse your mouth with water afterward.
- Chew sugar-free gum: Chewing sugar-free gum after meals can help stimulate saliva production, which helps to neutralize acids in the mouth and wash away food particles.
By following these tips, you can pack a lunch that promotes oral health and helps keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Promoting your kid’s oral health is the first step to keeping their overall health in check. With a few changes in their everyday meal, you can promote a healthy mouth. Here are some tips on packing a good lunch that your child will love to eat.
Packing a Lunch For Oral Health
Needless to say that one of the most satisfying moments for a parent is to see their child’s lunch box empty. Here are some tried and tested ways to spruce up your child’s meal box to keep your child’s oral health in check and keep their teeth cavity-free.
Switch to Healthy Granola Bars
It might surprise you, but what you think is a healthy and energy-filled bar is filled with sticky sugar. The oats, cereal, and nuts-filled bar do have some nutritional elements, but it is not ideal for your child’s milk teeth. The dried fruit in the bar and the chocolate sticks to teeth promote the growth of bad bacteria, causing demineralization of the enamel of the tooth cavities.
Instead, give them granola bars or health cereals with zero sugar and high fibre. Check the fibre content of the bar and go for the one that has higher. Don’t opt for the chocolate-covered bars filled with chewy fruits.
Steer Clear of the Sugary or fizzy Drinks
Giving your child a bottle filled with Tang or Rasna can surely make them feel fresh but also affects their teeth. Drinking liquids filled with sugar or the carbonated ones can erode the enamel on their teeth, making the teeth susceptible to bacteria (specifically Streptococcus mutans).
Instead, give them unsweetened juice, buttermilk, or natural coconut water as a healthy substitute that does not harm the teeth and goes well with all the meals.
Pack lots of Fibrous Fruits and Salad
Add fibre-rich foods like raw fruits, salad, and vegetables rather than giving packaged or starchy chips in a child’s meal. You can add strawberries, cucumber, carrots, apples, broccoli, or mushrooms to ensure that you are giving your child the proper lunch for oral health. Eating fibrous things will keep your child’s teeth clean, make them strong, and will help them avoid unnecessary sugar.
Include a handful of Nuts
When giving your child a snack, you prefer adding a pack of biscuits or a packet of chocos or cake. These foods may fill the stomach, but they also affect oral health as the sugar gets stuck to the pits and fissures of the teeth and causes decay.
Packing nuts like almonds, cashew, and raisins, will help keep their teeth clean and keep them from eating the sweets afterwards.
Don’t forget the water bottle
Water can wash everything away, including the sticky sugar film on the teeth. Make sure that you give them a bottle of water so that they can keep on sipping onto it. However, do not choose flavoured water or any sweetened water because it will have sugar and ultimately lead to tooth decay.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is important for overall health, including oral health. In addition to helping to wash away food particles and keep your mouth hydrated, drinking water can also help prevent dry mouth, which can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Be sure to pack a reusable water bottle with your lunch to ensure that you have access to water throughout the day. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try adding slices of fresh fruit or herbs such as mint or basil to give it a refreshing flavor. Avoid sugary drinks such as soda and juice, as these can increase the risk of tooth decay and other health problems.
Let them Chew on Cheese
Cheese is a miracle food that the kids love, and it also promotes good oral health. It is high in fat and contains calcium that can keep the enamel of the teeth healthy and balances the mouth’s pH level. Eating cheese also encourages saliva production, which washes away plaque and bacteria and keeps the teeth clean. You can also pair them with vegetables, use them in a salad, or put them as a filling.
Dietary Oral Health Tips For Your Child Oral Health
Food is the main contributor to promoting or deteriorating oral health. The responsibility of keeping their child’s teeth healthy lies on the parents, and the first step in doing so is to inculcate healthy eating habits. Giving them a healthy lunch and protecting their teeth can greatly impact their oral health.