Back to school means back to packing school snacks, preparing them after school and between after school activities. It becomes much easier and quicker to just throw your kid a bag of chips or a sugary treat and call it a day. But habits like this can be detrimental to your child’s oral health. Check out some of our healthy, tasty, easy-to-make school snacks that are tooth-friendly and fun enough for even the pickiest eaters to enjoy!
SEE ALSO: How to Get Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth
Yogurt Parfait
Just two basic foods – yogurt and nuts – can make a healthy, filling and tooth-friendly treat.
What You’ll Need:
- Low or non-fat yogurt
- Unsalted or low-salted nuts
Directions: This is a quick and easy snack to prepare: all you have to do is mix the nuts with the yogurt, hand your child a spoon and you’re done!
Fruit Salad
Sticking with the less acidic fruits ensures that your kids are getting the right nutrition while protecting their teeth at the same time.
What You’ll Need: Fruits with a lower acid content, such as:
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Peaches
Directions: Simply cut up the fruit into small, bite-size pieces and mix together in a bowl
SEE ALSO: 8 Tips for Healthier Teeth
“Ants on a Log”
This is a classic snack that children have enjoyed for decades!
What You’ll Need:
- Reduced fat cream cheese
- Trimmed celery stalks
- Assorted small dried fruits
Directions: Spread the cream cheese in the hollow of the celery stalk, place the dried fruit on top, then cut the celery stalks in half
Ham and Apple Wraps
Everything in this easy snack recipe is good on teeth and basic enough for most kids to enjoy.
What You’ll Need:
- Apples cut into wedges
- Reduced fat cheddar cheese slices
- Thinly sliced deli ham
Directions: On each apple wedge, place a piece of cheese, then wrap it in a slice of deli ham
On-the-Go Tooth Friendly Snacks
While all of the above ideas are quick and easy, they aren’t ideal for sending to school with your kids. Here are a few tooth friendly on-the-go snacks:
- Pretzels
- Nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Apple or pear slices
- Bananas
- Carrot or celery sticks
SEE ALSO: Why Kids Need to Practice Good Oral Hygiene Early
Keep Your Teeth in Tip-Top Shape this School Year with Duffield Dentistry!
Getting back to school after a long, enjoyable summer can be an adjustment. But it’s important to not let that get in the way of oral health, which is why making easy schools snacks like the ones above is so important. It’s also important that your children make sure they go see the dentist to make sure their teeth are staying their best before school starts again. Make your appointment with Dr. Duffield at our Royal Oak office today!