Dentist-Approved Summer Snacks

Now that summertime is here, kids will be having fun outside in the sun and doing quite a bit of snacking. Your Woodland Hills pediatric dentists want our young patients to have a blast during the summer just like we did as kids! However, we’d like to remind the parents of our patients that  there are lots of sweet summer snacks that aren’t good for your children’s teeth like candy, ice cream treats, and cookies. That’s why we’ve put together the following dentist-approved summer snacks that kids love to eat.

Fruit Kabobs

Instead of giving your kids frozen popsicles or ice cream when it’s hot outside, serve up these fruit kabobs that that don’t contain loads of processed sugar that leads to tooth decay.

What you’ll need:
2 kiwi fruits, peeled, sliced into four pieces, then quartered
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
2 apples, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
Four wooden skewers

Directions:
Thread the pieces of fruit onto the skewers, alternating the kiwis, bananas, apples, and mandarin oranges. Once the kebobs are all made, serve immediately. Your kids can dip the fruit pieces in their favorite flavor of low-fat yogurt for an extra boost of flavor.

Frozen Grapes

Even though this isn’t technically a recipe, it is a frozen treat kids love, especially during the warm weather!

What you’ll need:
2 cups seedless grapes

Directions:
Wash the grapes and remove any stems. Put the washed grapes on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about four hours. Remove and serve!

Banana & Strawberry Smoothies

These smoothies offer all the benefits of eating fruit, plus the yogurt reduces acids in the mouth that can corrode teeth to cause cavities. You can serve these smoothies for breakfast or give them to your kids when they’re craving something sweet during the day. This recipe makes about four smoothies when served in 8-oz glasses.

What you’ll need:
Blender
1 frozen banana
2 cups frozen strawberries
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk

Directions:
Put the banana, strawberries, yogurt, and milk into the blender and blend on medium setting until the mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.

Frozen Yogurt Pops

These yummy frozen treats will cool the kids down fast, and put a smile on their faces! Using just four healthy, kid-approved ingredients, you’ll be able to make these quickly and pop them in the freezer. This recipe makes four yogurt pops.

What you’ll need:
Blender
1 cup plain yogurt
1 medium banana, cut into chunks
1 cup mixed berries, frozen
1/8 cup honey
4 cupcake papers & 4 popsicle sticks

Directions:
Put the yogurt, banana, berries, and honey into a blender and run on high until the mixture is pureed. Then divide the mixture evenly between the paper cups. Cover with foil and pierce the foil in the center with the popsicle sticks to hold the sticks in place. Put into freezer for four or five hours, until solid.

Contact Our Northridge Pediatric Dentistry Office

The team at Blooming Smiles doesn’t want your children’s summer fun spoiled by a problem like tooth decay. Just remember to try and serve your kids snacks that aren’t loaded with processed sugar and be sure to remind them to brush their teeth after eating. If you need some more tooth-friendly snack ideas, just get in touch with us and we’ll help!