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Tooth-Friendly Back-to-School Lunch Ideas

As the new school year approaches, it's the perfect time to start planning healthy and tooth-friendly back-to-school lunches for your kids. Ensuring that their meals are nutritious and beneficial for their dental health can set them up for success both in the classroom and in maintaining a beautiful smile.

Tooth-friendly back-to-school lunch ideas

What children consume plays a significant role in their oral and overall well-being. Make sure you’re packing delicious food that is good for their teeth and growing bodies.

The Cleveland Clinic suggests packing the following for nutritious back-to-school lunches:

  • Protein: Chicken breast, cheese, nuts (trail mix), hummus, yogurt, and eggs.
  • Grains: Granola, granola bars, crackers, pita bread, bagels, homemade muffins, wheat or rye bread.
  • Fruits: Grapes, berries, apples, pears, bananas, clementines, and apricots.
  • Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, celery, bell peppers, and salad.

Tooth-friendly back-to-school snack ideas

School-aged children usually have designated times for snacks throughout the school day. Instead of packing sugary or starchy foods that can lead to cavities, try these options:

  • Trail mix: Look for trail mix containing healthy nuts and dried fruit.
  • Healthy cookies: Chocolate-covered raisins or oatmeal raisin cookies.
  • Chips: Sweet potato chips, kale chips, or homemade granola bars.
  • Whole grains: Tortilla chips, graham crackers, or pretzels.
  • Avocado slices

Try to give your children a variety of different healthy back-to-school lunch and snack options to choose from.

Drinks to avoid in back-to-school lunches

Even if you pack a tooth-friendly back-to-school lunch, a poor drink choice can negatively impact your children’s teeth. Be sure to skip sugary beverages to prevent cavities and other oral health problems when packing back-to-school lunches.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends avoiding drinks with a lot of sugar, such as:

  • Energy Drinks
  • Soda
  • Chocolate Milk
  • Juices

Instead, replace these sugary beverages with healthier options like:

  • Water
  • Milk
  • Diluted juice

Make back-to-school lunches fun

Now that you know what to pack, it’s time to make back-to-school lunches fun for your kids.

Cut food into fun shapes, such as your child’s favorite animal. If your child likes eating snacks more than a full meal, try slicing their sandwich and snacks into small bites. Chopping up your child’s food can make the meal less intimidating while providing the necessary nutrition.

Healthy smiles take more than tooth-friendly back-to-school lunches

It’s crucial to send your children out the door with healthy back-to-school lunches, but that doesn’t mean you can skip out on dental visits or slack on their oral health routine. Try to schedule dental appointments before school starts to ensure they begin a new year school year with a healthy smile!

Are you looking for more on how to protect your child’s oral health? Check out this blog: “Are you passing your fear of dentistry on to your kids?”.