Healthy Food Choices - Easter 2020

Making healthy food choices – Easter 2020 during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

As with our own diet, we all know what we should be feeding our kids. But sometimes the odd treat, celebration or change in routine can bring with it changes in diet that start to become more routine.

As its Easter time the likelihood for the traditional Easter egg consumption remains the same as always and also carries the usual risks from a dental point of view

It is the same for kids as adults, a healthy diet will help to strengthen and maintain their teeth. From that first tooth as a baby, through losing their ‘milk’ teeth, to the full set that they will take into adulthood, good early habits are a great way to begin.

A varied diet

A varied diet for kids, which makes sure they are getting all the nutrients they need, is just as good for their teeth is it is for the rest of their body.

The NHS Eatwell guide is a good source of information and gives you a good overview about what your child should be eating, and at what age.

Cutting down on sugar in your child's diet

Sugar can be a big problem and it is the main cause of tooth decayThe lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure.. It is added to a lot of different foods, so you need to make sure that your children aren’t having too much sugar in their diet.

Sugar is added to lots of foods like chocolate – Easter Eggs, sweets, cakes, biscuits, jams, cereals and more. Sugar in honey, maple syrup and other sweeteners is also bad for you child’s teeth and should be kept to a minimum.

Remember when your mouth experiences a “sweet episode” – Easter chocolates, sweets or a drink containing sugars, it can take up to one hour for the mouth to be free from the risk of dental decay.

Therefore its not how much is consumed – it’s the frequency that counts. Try (as far as possible) to allow the sweet episodes to be attached to mealtimes and offer sugar free options between meals.

Whilst fruit and vegetables, when eaten whole, are a great way to cut down on sugar in your child’s diet, as well as make sure they eat their 5 a day, when they are juiced or made into smoothies this releases sugars which can harm the teeth. It is recommended that they have just one glass, around 150ml, per day, if possible at mealtimes.

Dried fruit is also high in sugar and best kept to mealtimes. With a few swaps you can make sure that your kids don’t have too much sugar, which will really help their dental health.

Try swapping:

  • sugary drinks for water or milk
  • cakes and biscuits for toast or malt loaf
  • and make sure your yoghurts are low-sugar versions

Click below to book an appointment with your local dentist and find out more about maintaining your children’s oral health.

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Please note that this article is for patient information purposes only. The information provided is based on guidance available at the time of writing, which may subsequently change. Please consult your own dentist with any individual queries.

Child receiving dental treatment

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