As a parent, you want nothing more than ensuring your kids are healthy. Your children’s health is highly dependant on what foods you give them. The right food will ensure that they are getting the essential vitamins and nutrients and building a strong their immune system.
Unfortunately, there are many types of unhealthy food marketed towards children & parents. To ensure you are giving your children the best start in life it is advised to avoid or provide the following items in moderation.
1. Sticky Simple Carbs
White bread, candy, and other foods that contain simple carbohydrates, simply carbohydrates contain a large amount of sugar, sugar is the main culprit of tooth decay. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on sugars, and as they digest sugar, they produce the acid that, when allowed to set on teeth, breaks them down and causes cavities.
2. Carbonated Beverages
Maintaining your child’s health is just one of many reasons you should avoid giving your kids carbonated drinks. It provides no nutritional values. If that’s not enough, one study found that carbonated beverages had the same negative effects on your teeth as methamphetamines.
There is no good reason for your child to drink any carbonated beverages. As often as possible, give your kids water to drink. Because many fruit juices also contain high levels of sugar, limit juice intake as well. If your child does have a sweet fruit juice drink, have them use a straw whenever possible and make sure they brush their teeth afterward.
3. Dried Fruits
Although these are certainly better than candy, dried fruits should be avoided for all the same reasons. They often contain high levels of concentrated sugars, and because many of them are sticky, they can cling to the teeth and allow bacteria to multiply and enjoy the sugar. Whenever possible, stick with fresh fruits and vegetables which are much better for your child’s teeth.
4. Citrus Fruits
It may seem strange to encourage you to avoid feeding citrus fruits to your child as they are full of vitamin C and other important vitamins that are great for your child’s health. However, they also have a high acid content, and too much of that acid can wear down his or her tooth enamel over time, same as the acid produced by bacteria.
Be aware of how many citrus fruits your child is eating and make sure they are drinking water afterward to rinse off their teeth, or even brushing their teeth to remove the acid before it can get in and do any damage.
5. Potato Chips
Although you may be thinking that something salty is better than something sweet, potato chips can lead to tooth decay in children because of the starch found in the potatoes. Starch is a type of carbohydrate, and when little pieces get stuck on your child’s teeth, their saliva breaks the starch down into simple sugars which the bacteria can then use.
For tips on how to prepare food and which appliances to get, make sure to check out Foodgear.
