Smart lunches promote healthy smiles during Children’s Dental Health Month and all year long
2/6/2012
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (Feb. 6, 2012) — As parents fill those brown paper bags with their kids’ lunches each morning, Delta Dental is shining light on some commonly-perceived foods that may appear healthy and balanced, but can unfortunately promote cavities down the road. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and the company is offering tips to parents on healthier and lower-sugar alternatives to include in their children’s lunches.
“Many common foods actually contain a shocking amount of sugar,” said Dr. Jed Jacobson, chief science officer and senior vice president at Delta Dental of Indiana. “Consider a child’s lunch with a packaged ham, cheese and crackers meal, a small can of diced peaches, fruit snacks and a juice box. While it seems healthy and balanced, this meal contains a whopping 62 grams of sugar, on average.”
A few easy swaps can reduce the sugar, and keep kids’ mouths happy. Switch to a ham and cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread and skip the fruit snacks – in addition to high sugar content, their stickiness holds sugars against teeth for prolonged periods. Replace the juice for a kid-sized bottled water or milk and opt for fresh fruits or vegetables instead of canned. These small changes bring this lunch’s sugar total down to a more tooth-tolerable 19 grams, on average.
A nutritious diet doesn’t have to be void of sweet treats. For a little indulgence, consider vanilla wafer cookies. They have less than half the sugar of chocolate, creme-filled cookies. For something on the salty side, pretzels and whole-grain crackers are good options for low-sugar items.
“Check the nutrition labels on the foods you buy to make sure you know what your family is eating,” said Jacobson. “A healthy and nutritious diet paired with good oral hygiene at home and regular visits to the dentist can go a long way toward protecting against tooth decay.”
If possible, kids and adults alike should brush their teeth after lunch. Keeping a toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste in a lunchbox, purse or desk is a convenient reminder to keeping a cavity-free mouth. If there’s no time to brush, Jacobson recommends rinsing with water after lunch.
Here’s an additional list of common lunch food items that have alarming amounts of sugar per serving:
- Packaged applesauce (21g on average)
- Granola bars (14g)
- Packaged pudding cups (21g on average)
- Prepared muffins (15g or higher)
- Energy drinks (as high as 50g)
- Fruit-flavored yogurt (14g or higher)
About Delta Dental of Indiana
Delta Dental of Indiana, with its affiliates in Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee collectively are among the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2011, the enterprise paid out $2.2 billion for dental treatment for 8.6 million enrollees. Offices are located in Indianapolis and Greenwood, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Okemos and Farmington Hills, Mich.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; and Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis, Tenn.