Dental Expert Reveals the Worst Lunchbox Snacks for Your Child’s Teeth

With school starting back this week it’s time to start planning lunchboxes again, and while some parents may be concerned over the number of sweets consumed this summer, there are also some common lunchbox foods that parents should be watching out for.

Here, Doctor Zaeem from Ordo explains the five worst lunchbox foods for your child’s teeth and shares some savvy swaps and important tips for looking after your child’s oral health.

Satsumas and Easy Peelers

Satsumas and oranges are high in Vitamin C and many of us would think of them as a healthy alternative to a sweet snack. However, citrus fruits like satsumas and oranges also happen to be super high in acidity which can cause the enamel to break down when eaten regularly. It’s okay to have them occasionally, but definitely don’t make it a regular part of the weekly food shop, as weakened enamel can eventually lead to tooth decay.

Try rotating citrus fruits with crunchy fruits like apples and pears to prevent a build up of damage. Fruits are always going to be better than chocolates and sweets but they do come with their own risks. One of the biggest Lunchbox issues is fruit juices, because they’re full of sugar and acids. When including oranges in your child’s lunchbox they should be eaten with the whole meal and not as a snack. So a good tip is to include some cheese and ask your child to have the cheese afterwards to neutralise the acids!

Salt and Vinegar Crisps

Despite being one of the most popular crisp flavours in the UK, salt and vinegar flavoured crisps can actually do a fair amount of damage to your child’s mouth. Generally speaking, crisps aren’t a great lunchbox snack because they are high in starch. These carbohydrates break down into sugars when eaten and combine with bacteria to produce acids that attack tooth enamel, they also easily get stuck and trapped in the teeth. Meanwhile the vinegar in this particular flavour of crisps is very acidic and will doubly attack the enamel.

Cereal Bars

Despite the packaging looking like they’re healthy, most cereal bars are super high in sugar, which can also cause tooth decay. When you eat sugary foods, the bacteria in the mouth ferment them into acid, which can eat away at the tooth enamel. On top of this, cereal bars are sticky and chewy, and often get stuck in children’s teeth. It’s important to make sure that your child is using a high-quality toothbrush that will get into all those crevices and prevent tooth decay!

Dried Mango

Fruits with minimal water also have the potential to cause tooth damage. Dried mango can easily stick to the teeth. This sticky sugar feeds harmful bacteria, which will produce acids that will erode your enamel and irritate your gums. Opting for fresh fruit will always be a better option than dried, so focus on including these in the lunchbox over dried fruits. Making sure your child is using a toothbrush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush will make sure the gums are cleaned gently, even with braces or other dental work.

White Bread

White bread is definitely not the best option for your child’s sandwiches. White bread is packed full of refined carbohydrates and sugars. If your child doesn’t brush and floss well enough, the sugar and starch can create a breeding ground for bacteria and cavities. Using an electric toothbrush rather than a manual toothbrush will help make sure there is no build up of plaque and bacteria in the mouth. In addition to this, the grains used to make white bread are processed, which can strip away natural roughage and raise the food's acid levels. You should opt instead for breads made with whole grains.

When putting together your children's lunchbox, it's important to consider foods that are good for your child’s teeth, and even watch out for the foods that are often marketed as ‘healthy snacks’. In 2023 reports stated that nearly 4.5 million children in England had not been seen by an NHS dentist for at least a year! This means it's really important that we look after our kids' oral health to prevent more serious issues like gum disease developing further down the line.