So many of our holidays are based around copious amounts of confectionary…. Which can make things very difficult for parents! Why not make Easter the holiday where you’re a bit ore careful? There are plenty of ways to put a smile on your kids faces this Easter without giving their teeth a sugar-overload. Check out our pointers below.
1. Go dark chocolate or Bourneville
On average, dark chocolate contains half the sugar that milk chocolate does. Picking a dark chocolate with a high % of cocoa solids will ensure there’s less sugar, thus less damage to your kids’ teeth.
2. Pick a designated ‘egg eating’ time
Avoid letting your children graze on their Easter treats throughout the day. The more grazing throughout the day, the more teeth are susceptible to decay, as bacteria gathers constantly. Believe it or not, it’s better for teeth to be bombarded all at once with sugar than relentlessly throughout the day….!
3. Don’t eat chocolate immediately before bed and teeth brushing time.
If you brush your teeth straight after having consumed chocolate, your mouth is acidic and therefore more prone to damage caused by brushing. Be sure to wait about 30 minutes after consuming chocolate before brushing to avoid this damage. In the meantime, drink a glass of water to clean out your mouth before brushing.
4. Avoid Easter Eggs containing sweets.Many Easter eggs come filled sweets (such as Rowntrees, Rolo or Smarties). These are worse for your child’s teeth as they contain more corrosive sugars than chocolate alone – caramel filling, sugar coated jelly sweets, hard sugar shells. Sticking to the lesser of two evils (solely chocolate) will minimise the damage this Easter!
5. Try vegan chocolate. This one may be a little tricky unless you’re a vegan family and your kids are used to it, but some vegan chocolate contains less sugar than normal chocolate – it might be worth doing a bit of research beforehand if you’re looking to cut the sugar out this Easter.
6. Incorporate healthy snacks. Why not incorporate some healthy snacks into your Easter egg hunt? Perhaps you could hide a few teeth-friendly twists on some of the unhealthier options such as gingerbread? Classic shredded wheat nests (recipe to follow on our blog)! These include chocolate and taste amazing!