Healthy teeth starts with feeding your family the right kind of meals

Keeping my family’s teeth healthy (and white) is something that’s very important to me. Growing up, my mother was always conscious of making sure the food we put in our bodies would keep not only our bodies healthy but our teeth. Creating healthy teeth habits early on helps because you’ll stick with them as you grow. It’s wonderful to have “tooth success” at a young age because your older teeth will thank you for it! You don’t want your children to get cavities, and you want to set them up to have their dental visits always be successful!

What kinds of foods and recipes can you make at home to aid in healthy teeth?

It’s all about incorporating foods into your family’s lives that are healthy and not filled with artificial flavorings, sugars and dyes. If you’re eating sugary and unhealthy foods regularly, your teeth are going to pay the price. Believe me, it’s OK to have a cookie or a piece of candy here and there — my kids love their treats. But to have these kinds of foods every single day and always at the ready in your house isn’t the best way to be and stay healthy.

Here are five family favorites in our house for healthy eating and healthy teeth!

1. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: What I love about making parfaits is that I can change the fruit up with the seasons. In the fall and winter months, it’s all about apples. In the spring, it’s all about pineapples, oranges and bananas. In the summer, we break out the strawberries and blueberries! I love cutting up the fruit and adding yogurt right on top! The key is to make it look pretty! Kids get so excited about it.
2. Grilled cheese: I love adding calcium into their bodies because it’s great for them. I’ll make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato on whole wheat bread. It’s a great and easy lunch and/or dinner.
3. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup: My husband makes the BEST homemade chicken noodle soup! He adds lots of yummy vegetables, noodles and chunks of chicken — all healthy and yummy eats in a bowl! My kids will eat this year-round. It’s a true family favorite, and it makes the house smell incredible!
4. Lasagna: Looking for something hearty and delicious? Try lasagna. I love using extra lean meat and skim-milk cheese products to make it for the kids. It’s one of those meals they’ll even reheat for breakfast. I always add into my sauce extra veggies — carrots, peppers and celery — and I don’t even think they know! It’s all about finding those great food staples that are healthy and the kids will eat!
5. Salad: You can’t go wrong with a salad. I know many kids don’t like to eat salad, but we make it part of every dinner meal. It’s one of those items I love seeing the kids eat because it’s just jam-packed with veggies, and in the summer we grow many of our own! One thing I do for dressing is mix together lemon juice and a little bit of olive oil. My kids actually prefer this dressing over anything! Makes for an easy add-on meal, and it’s super healthy!

Again, for me it’s all about healthy bodies, which includes teeth! I really try to make and serve foods that are healthy on every level. Just like you encourage your kids to brush every morning and night to keep their teeth clean, it’s important to make sure the food they’re consuming is good, too.  Therefore, it’s truly necessary to do what you can to make sure their teeth are healthy!