Nutritious kids' snacks

To satisfy hunger, serve:
• popcorn.
• applesauce.
• bread sticks.
• a half-sandwich (cheese, egg, tuna, or peanut butter).
• cottage cheese.
• yogurt.
• devilled or hard-cooked eggs.
• peanuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds (check your child's school for an anaphylaxis policy first).
• whole-grain muffins and cereals.
• toast with honey.
• fig bars and other fruit bars.
• leftover pizza.
• half a bagel spread with cheese or peanut butter.
• raw vegetables (snow peas, celery, and sweet peppers).

Snacking and dental decay
Frequent snacking on sweets increases your child's risk of cavities. The Canadian Dental Association recommends that if you serve sweets, you serve them with meals. Increased saliva flow during meals helps neutralize the effects of sugar. Our saliva contains several cavity-protecting factors, including fluoride, calcium buffers, and antimicrobial agents.

Soft, sticky sweets such as raisins, fruit leathers, and granola bars may be nutritious, but they stick to the teeth. Fruit juices, even if unsweetened, also contain sugar. Since fruit juice pools around your child's teeth, it may also pose a risk for cavities. The CDA suggests limiting, or even eliminating, juice between meals.

If your child has a sweet snack, have him try a slice of Cheddar or mozzarella cheese to counteract some of the negative effects of sugar. Or give him a celery stick or apple. Because they help clean your teeth, these foods are sometimes called "detergent foods." And as your child has probably already pointed out, sugarless gum can help reduce dental decay. Of course, children can always rinse their mouths with water if there's nothing else available. Or you might try to accustom your children to brushing after snacks as well as after meals.

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