Here at Peas, we're excited to take our blog in a new direction.

We're going to use this platform to provide tips and tidbits about cooking, kids & nutrition.

Our first tidbit is:

Snack for a healthy smile!

We know that dairy products are a great source of calcium, but turns out that cheddar-like cheeses have additional benefits to aid in the development and maintenance of teeth, particularly when eaten at the end of a meal.

First off, the minerals calcium and phosphorous present in cheese buffer the weakening effects that strongly acidic foods have on teeth.

Chewing on cheeses like cheddar activate the salivary glands to produce more saliva which helps remove residual pieces of food in the mouth. This is particularly effective after a child eats sweets: the cheese loosens and sweeps away sticky bits of candy and thereby helps prevent decay.

Eating cheeses that are semi-firm (like like cheddar, swiss, mozzarella and monterey jack) are particularly effective in this regard. These cheeses are made from very smooth curds that act similarly to a squeegie on a glass window, removing all of the grime, leaving teeth squeaky clean!

So at the end of a meal, consider serving a small cube of cheese to your little one, and enjoying a nibble for yourself.