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Complete list of recipes
Snack smart for healthy teeth
Content:
1. What's wrong with sugary snacks, anyway?
2. How do sugars attack your teeth?
3. How can I "snack smart" to protect myself from tooth decay?
4. How can you snack smart? Be choosy!
5. Note to parents
What's wrong with sugary snacks, anyway?
Sugary snacks taste so good-but they aren't so good for your teeth or
your body. The candies, cakes, cookies, and other sugary foods that kids
love to eat between meals can cause tooth decay. Some sugary foods have
a lot of fat in them too.
Kids who consume sugary snacks eat many different kinds of sugar every
day, including table sugar (sucrose) and corn sweeteners (fructose). Starchy
snacks can also break down into sugars once they're in your mouth.
Did you know that the average American eats about 147 pounds of sugars
a year? That's a big pile of sugar! No wonder the average 17-year-old
in this country has more than three decayed teeth!
How do sugars attack your teeth?
Invisible germs called bacteria live in your mouth all the time. Some
of these bacteria form a sticky material called plaque on the surface
of the teeth. When you put sugar in your mouth, the bacteria in the plaque
gobble up the sweet stuff and turn it into acids. These acids are powerful
enough to dissolve the hard enamel that covers your teeth. That's how
cavities get started. If you don't eat much sugar, the bacteria can't
produce as much of the acid that eats away enamel.
How can I "snack smart" to protect myself from tooth decay?
Before you start munching on a snack, ask yourself what's in the food
you've chosen. Is it loaded with sugar? If it is, think again. Another
choice would be better for your teeth. And keep in mind that certain kinds
of sweets can do more damage than others. Gooey or chewy sweets spend
more time sticking to the surface of your teeth. Because sticky snacks
stay in your mouth longer than foods that you quickly chew and swallow,
they give your teeth a longer sugar bath.
You should also think about when and how often you eat snacks. Do you
nibble on sugary snacks many times throughout the day, or do you usually
just have dessert after dinner? Damaging acids form in your mouth every
time you eat a sugary snack. The acids continue to affect your teeth for
at least 20 minutes before they are neutralized and can't do any more
harm. So, the more times you eat sugary snacks during the day, the more
often you feed bacteria the fuel they need to cause tooth decay.
If you eat sweets, it's best to eat them as dessert after a main meal
instead of several times a day between meals. Whenever you eat sweets
-- in any meal or snack -- brush your teeth well with a þuoride
toothpaste afterward.
When you're deciding about snacks, think about:
the number of times a day you eat sugary snacks how long the sugary food
stays in your mouth the texture of the sugary food (chewy? sticky?)
If you snack after school, before bedtime, or other times during the
day, choose something without a lot of sugar or fat. There are lots of
tasty, filling snacks that are less harmful to your teeth -- and the rest
of your body -- than foods loaded with sugars and low in nutritional value.
Snack smart!
Low-fat choices like raw vegetables, fresh fruits, or whole-grain crackers
or bread are smart choices. Eating the right foods can help protect you
from tooth decay and other diseases. Next time you reach for a snack,
pick a food from the list inside or make up your own menu of non-sugary,
low-fat snack foods from the basic food groups.
How can you snack smart? Be choosy!
Pick a variety of foods from these groups:
Fresh fruits and raw vegetables: berries, oranges, grapefruit, melons,
pineapple, pears, tangerines, broccoli, celery, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes,
unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices and canned fruits in natural juices.
Grains: bread, plain bagels, unsweetened cereals, unbuttered popcorn,
tortilla chips (baked, not fried), pretzels (low-salt), pasta and plain
crackers.
Milk and dairy products: low or non-fat milk, low or non-fat yogurt,
low or non-fat cheeses and low or non-fat cottage cheese.
Meat, nuts and seeds: chicken, turkey, sliced meats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower
seeds and nuts.
Others (these snacks combine foods from the different groups): pizza
and tacos.
Remember to: choose sugary foods less often, avoid sweets between meals,
eat a variety of low or non-fat foods from the basic groups and brush
your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after snacks and meals
Note to parents
The foods listed in this leaflet have not all been tested for their decay-causing
potential. However, knowledge to date indicates that they are less likely
to promote tooth decay than are some of the heavily sugared foods children
often eat between meals.
Candy bars aren't the only culprits. Foods such as pizza, breads, and
hamburger buns may also contain sugars. Check the label. The new food
labels identify sugars and fats on the Nutrition Facts panel on the package.
Keep in mind that brown sugar, honey, molasses, and syrups also react
with bacteria to produce acids, just as refined table sugar does. These
foods also are potentially damaging to teeth.
Your child's meals and snacks should include a variety of foods from
the basic food groups, including fruits and vegetables; grains, including
breads and cereals; milk and dairy products; and meat, nuts, and seeds.
Some snack foods have greater nutritional value than others and will better
promote your child's growth and development. However, be aware that even
some fresh fruits, if eaten in excess, may promote tooth decay. Children
should brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste after snacks and meals.
(So should you!)
About the author
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