Let’s Talk About Teeth-Friendly Snacks

It’s a no-brainer that giving your toddler low and no-sugar snacks is the way to protect their teeth. And starting them off at a young age on healthy snacks will establish a habit that can last throughout their life. But it can be tricky coming up with healthy teeth-friendly snack ideas and even tricker to keep your toddler interested in these types of snacks. We wanted to give you a list of options as well as some fun ways to keep your kiddos interested.

Healthy Options

• Plain popcorn
• Yogurt mixed with chopped fruit
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Cubes of cheese
• Oatcakes with peanut butter
• Fresh fruit
• Raw vegetables
• Hummus and pitta bread or veggies
• Cream cheese with mini-breadsticks

Keep it Interesting
Offer a variety of textures and tastes to keep food interesting. Crunchy, soft, smooth, hot, cold, sweet, sour, bland and spicy are all appealing. Choose colorful foods and get creative with your presentation:

• aces, traffic lights, houses and cars can be created with pieces of fruit or vegetables. Your toddler will love to help with this.
• Grow your own fruit and veg. Being aware of how food grows may spark his interest. She may enjoy eating a pea straight from the pod or picking her own fruit too.
• Use a biscuit cutter to create fun-shaped mini sandwiches.
• Take your toddler food shopping and let him pick out fruit, vegetables and cheeses. He may be more interested in eating them if he has chosen them himself!
• See if your toddler can sort grapes, blueberries and cherry tomatoes into colors before eating them. Do make sure to halve the grapes and cherry tomatoes, as they can present a serious choking hazard if left whole. You could also arrange them by size and see if she eats them in order.

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