Besides keeping them entertained and safe, you also have to keep your children well-nourished, which is often most challenging when they’re home for summer break. Easy-to-grab and easier-to-consume bags of chips and other junk food might be as convenient as they are popular, but they aren’t very kind to your children’s dental and overall health. To help your kids make it through the summer with their smiles intact, your Southlake dentists, Dr. Wright and Dr. Heron, recommend fun, healthy snacks that are as tasty as they are nutritious.
Healthier Summer Snacks
Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits, like mangos, apples, and pears, are not only naturally sweet and good for you, they can also help keep your children’s teeth clean and healthy in several ways. The fruits’ fibrous texture helps scrub teeth clean, while their juicy nature promotes a healthy flow of saliva—the mouth’s natural rinse and defense against bacteria and plaque buildup.
Sugar-Free Yogurt
Like most dairy products, yogurt contains a high amount of vitamin D, calcium, and other nutrients that keep teeth and gums healthy. Though flavor doesn’t really affect its benefits, be sure to choose the sugar-free variety; sugar tends to feed the bacteria that contribute to plaque and can lead to cavity development. To make the yogurt more interesting, try throwing chopped-up pieces of fresh fruit in the mix.
Flavored Water
Water is the most-recommended beverage, especially in the heat of the summer, because it provides a wealth of benefits (like hydration) without all the additives of other beverages that can hinder good dental health. To make it more appealing for children, you can buy fruit-flavored water, without sugar, in most grocery stores. By freezing the flavored water in ice trays, you can also create tasty and refreshing popsicles to help your children cool down throughout the day.
ABOUT YOUR SOUTHLAKE DENTISTS:
As a native Texan, Gregory Wright, DDS, opened his private practice in Southlake, TX in 1992. He and Dr. Victoria Heron are happily accepting new patients from Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and all surrounding communities. To learn more, call our office today at (817) 481-7999.
