Healthy Eating for Older Children

The food that an older child consumes is critical, not only in developing life long habits, but also for the overall health of their teeth. Providing healthy snacks for your child can ensure they get the nutrients they need without the junk they don’t. Here are five tips from Dr. Anna Lee on how you can help.

·      Recent research shows that cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for children’s teeth.  Cheddar, Swiss and mozzarella cheeses stimulate the salivary gland to produce saliva and lessens the effects of acids attacking the teeth and causing tooth decay.

·      Avoid frequent snacking on sweets and sweet beverages between meals.

·      Serve snacks and meals that satisfy a child’s need for different types of foods-crunchy, soft, chewy, smooth, sweet, sour, bland and others

·      Offer snacks at regular times, such as mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Don’t let children snack throughout the day.

·      When shopping, allow the children help pick out fruits, vegetables and cheeses.  They will be more interested in eating them.

For more information on which foods are great for your child’s teeth contact Dr. Lee and her team today.