If your DC do not eat a lot of sugar

[cobrakitty]

Please tell me your typical daily diet for ideas

My DC are 5 and 7 and DD5 has had a watch put on one tooth. I am not hugely surprised as she has been on and off laxatives for constipation and DH has always had awful teeth but I want to go as healthy as possible now so I need all the low sugar food ideas specifically for young children. I know to limjt snacking and fruit and any treats WITH your meal is fine.

Just would love to know what other tooth conscious parents are giving their children on a daily basis!

Also I should add I ate whatever I wanted growing up and brushed my teeth once a day yet I have no fillings so I have now worked myself into a state over sugar content of baked beans etc and avoiding fruit when I have always fed her loads of fruit for the constipation

The guilt is immense

I don't think you should feel guilty, you were giving her lots of fruit for her constipation. My DC eat lots of fruit just because they like fruit. I'm trying to cut down on the fruit as DS1 sometimes gets an upset tummy.

Are you looking for snack or meal ideas?
My eldest likes cherry tomatoes, pepper sticks, and hummus on toast for snacks.
The baby likes breadsticks and little slithers of cheddar.

I have recently discovered cauliflower hashbowns (Asda frozen aisle), both DC like them with low sugar baked beans for a weekend breakfast - I find breakfast the hardest meal to make savoury, I know eggs are great, but I'd rather save them for lunch.

Meal or snack ideas - any ideas really... breakfast is definitely the hardest especially when we are short for time before school.

Yes I'm going to switch to low sugar baked beans and just googled the cauliflower hash browns - they sound amazing! Thank you!

What about giving a piece of cheese after a fruit snack? I don't think you should worry too much about the sugar. Concentrate on only having food at meals and specific snack times rather than grazing and on good brushing.

Sugar-free peanut butter on toast for breakfast?
Will they eat porridge? Also delicious with peanut butter in

@Camomila cauliflower hash browns???? I’m low carb and just about the only potato/potato product I miss is a hash brown! (Fingers crossed they’re not too carby!!) You may have just made my day!!

We just didn't have any refined sugar products in the house (mom was very into whole foods before it was fashionable), had things like egg and toast for breakfast, lots of fruit, snacks were veg sticks (carrot, cucumber, celery) with homemade yoghurt dip/more fruit - her annoying slogan to me growing up if I asked for a snack but turned down an apple was "well you must not really be hungry then"

Saying that, I did have a few fillings growing up so I don't always think it's just sugar - some people are more prone to cavities than others

I wouldn't worry too much unless they are eating lots of sugary snacks. Be careful of things like Innocent smoothies, and those fruit string things which have lots of sugar but sound 'healthy'

Maybe focus on tooth brushing and an electric toothbrush can help?
They might like that too.

For breakfast: Scrambled eggs, omelette or pre made frittata. Low sugar beans on toast, porridge, weetabix.

For snacks: Cheese (with crackers), vegetable sticks (can add cream cheese or hummus dips), toast (marmite, cream cheese, avocado, butter), breadsticks.

I would focus on giving less fruit and if you give it add some cheese after to neutralise the acid (or give as part of a meal). I presume they don't drink much in the way of sugar, as this can be an easy area to change.

How about giving vegetables as snacks? Things like sugar snap peas, carrots and cucumber instead of fruit? My DS doesn't like sweet things so often snacks on cheese, cocktail sausages, toasted pumpkin seeds (taste a bit like popcorn), cashews and peanut butter.

Regarding breakfast, porridge flavoured with cinnamon or any wheat/ bran cereal for fibre. Wholemeal toast with avocado or peanut butter?

We brush teeth three times a day; in the evenings DH or I do it and floss their teeth. We talk about why constant snacking is bad for the teeth but don't limit snacks as such. Drinks other than water are a treat, not every day.

@PaperMonster

I've just checked the back of the packet in my freezer - they are 42% cauliflower, 13% potato, plus potato flakes etc. 19.4g carbs per 100g - hopefully that's good carb wise 😊

Thanks for the ideas I am going to switch out to low sugar versions of beans and peanut butter.

And try more veggies as snacks - thankfully she does like vegetables so that is one good thing!

I am also going to attempt to floss her teeth in that area. Wish me luck!

My friend who is an ex dentist suggested rubbing some fluoride toothpaste on the tooth after brushing but then changed her mind in case she got fluorosis!

At least she has had that fluoride paste that put on now so maybe that will help.

Good Luck!
We were advised to use something like this www.boots.com/boots-mint-disposable-flossers-30-piecess-10277871 and they are much easier to use on a child than the normal floss. I get the Dc to sit on a small plastic step and lean their heads back onto my leg whilst I'm sitting on the edge of the bath or the toilet. Then you can see into their mouths easily.

Those little flossers look perfect! Thank you @NotWithMyShoes

@Camomila thank you for checking - sadly too carby for my body to cope with, but thank you!

My youngest has enamel hypoplasia (the protective enamel coating of her teeth didn’t firm correctly) and so is more prone to teeth decay (plus I have not the greatest teeth).

We don’t do highly processed foods any way, but we avoid citrus fruits. Only eat fruit with a meal. No cows milk. No added sugar oat milk. Only drink fruit juice in the morning and is diluted 1/10.

My dc don’t eat crisps, but these are a big tooth decay culprit. They’re full of sugar and the texture causes them to stick to the teeth.

I oversee my 11yo brushing and continue to brush my 8yo’s teeth. Don’t brush within 30 minutes of eating (this allows your saliva to neutralise acids in food particles that may be missed upon brushing).

Use the smallest toothbrush head you can find, this is especially important as lo’s start losing teeth and growing in new ones as little nooks and crannies can often be missed.

If you use mouthwash do this before brushing rather than after as it will wash off the flouride from the toothpaste.

All seems a bit much and, I’m sure to most, OTT, but dental and gum health have such a massive impact on general health and a direct impact on cardiac health.

We do breakfast things like ham, cheese and toast maybe with some cucumber. Kind of a lunch really.
Or.boiled eggs can be prepared in advance

Also some children are eligible for fissure sealants for their molars if deemed at a larger risk of decay.

some people are more prone to cavities than others

This. My dentist always said my teeth weren’t great and it was possibly caused by medication I was on as a small child. I guess it was good to have the warning to be more careful.

Low sugar snacks: Snack size pack of breadsticks & snack size pot of philadelphia is a ‘go to’ for my lot. Nairn’s oatcakes - ginger or dark choc. Mixed seed/nut pots. Veg sticks & humous.

No tooth decay here. Partly genes I think.

We don’t have any added sugar products at breakfast (so cereals with no sugar etc), don’t give kids any fruit juice at all, no jam, honey, sugared spreads

Limited amounts of dried fruit (x1 on 3 days per week). Unlimited apples allowed.

No puddings after any meals, no squashes, cakes, biscuits, sweets on weekdays

At weekends we have treats allowed eg one club biscuit as a snack each day

Otherwise sweets etc are for special occasions

The main processes food with sugar added for my kids is ketchup and baked beans and we try not to have too much of this

i wouldnt use the low sugar versions of things. the sweetener in them is worse than the sugar, have less of them or use an alternative. there are plenty of things that dont have sugar in them.

What we do give - breakfast is toast with sugar free peanut butter or sugar free musli. Glass of milk.

Lunch sandwiches with eg red pepper / carrot alongside. No sugary spreads. Water to drink

Dinner - main, veg no pudding

Snacks: in the week we try to stick to carrot sticks, apples, bread and butter