When it comes to packing your child's school lunch each morning, you already know it's important to take steps to ensure that the meal is as healthy as possible. While you might be thinking about avoiding foods that promote weight gain or even affect your child's mood, it's also valuable to consider those that play a role in your child's dental health. Avoiding high-sugar foods is, of course, important – however, there are a handful of foods that you can pack in the child's lunch that can actually improve his or her oral health that a family dentist would approve of. Here are three lunch-friendly choices.

Apple

The adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away might be true, but this crunchy fruit can also boost the health of your child's teeth. The texture of apples means that this fruit requires plenty of chewing, which is valuable – with each chew your child makes, the apple can actually help to scrub off his or her teeth. While high-acid fruits such as lemons can be detrimental to the health of the tooth enamel, the mildly acidic quality of an apple also helps to keep the teeth clean. The added perk of including an apple in your child's lunch is that it's packed with fiber. Fiber will help your child feel fuller and hopefully prevent him or her from making a trip to the school's vending machine.

Water

Instead of packing soda or fruit juice in your child's lunch, stick with the simplicity of water. Bottled water is available in several sizes, making it an easy addition to the lunch kit. Water is ideal for your child's dental health because it helps to wash bacteria off the surface of the teeth and even out of the spaces between the teeth. Water also aids in your production of saliva, which is ideal for neutralizing the acidity that can cause damage to your tooth enamel.

Plain Yogurt

Sweetened yogurt can be detrimental to your child's teeth, but the plain variety is a healthy choice. The high calcium content in yogurt helps your child's teeth grow strong, while the probiotic bacteria found in yogurt can combat the mouth bacteria that can break down your enamel. This good bacteria is also integral to your gum health. If your child complains about the bland flavor of plain yogurt, one option is to supply a container of fresh berries to mix with this dairy product.