Healthy snacks aren’t always easy to come by. Whether you’re watching your favourite hockey team, settling in for a movie night or having friends over for game night, you’re probably thinking about what snacks to have on hand. It’s no secret that these fund past times are great excuses to indulge on your favourite foods. “The unfortunate reality is that many of the snacks we typically go for aren’t the greatest for our teeth,” explains Dr. Maryam Adibfar, a top dentist in Toronto who has spent numerous years treating patients from across the city. “This doesn’t mean you have to serve celery and water, but we do recommend you try to find tooth-friendly options that are still delicious.”
Tooth-friendly healthy snacks that are still delicious? That can be a tough thing to find. You might even be saying to yourself; “those don’t exist!”
Over the years, our dental team has helped numerous people learn how they can adjust their snacking and eating habits to better protect the health of their teeth.
Healthy Snacks for Your Oral Health
Here are some great healthy snacks that are nutritious, delicious and won’t place your teeth in jeopardy.
Healthy Snacks: Chicken Wings
This is a staple for any sporting event. Whether it’s a mid-season game, the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup finals, chicken wings are a fan favourite. While the chicken is a great source of protein, the sauce they typically come in is loaded with sugar. Try making your own wing sauce that’s mustard or vinegar based. You could even try your favourite hot sauce instead. Cutting the high sugar sauce that sticks to your teeth can make a huge difference.
Healthy Snacks: Dips
Depending on which one you choose, dips can be very high in fat and sugar. There are plenty of homemade recipes out there that are healthy. They use lemon juice, olive oil and great spices to create dips that will please the most discerning palette.
Healthy Snacks: Popcorn
Dying for a big bag of buttery popcorn? The high fat and salt content can typically wreak havoc on your beautiful teeth. Try popping your own popcorn and seasoning it with olive oil and your favourite spices.
Put the Candy Away
Healthy snacks are a great idea. But people love reaching for their favourite bag of candy to enjoy during a movie. But the sugar that sticks to your teeth can cause cavities and numerous other oral health problems. Fight the urge and choose a snack that isn’t filled with refined sugar. You might think about cutting up your favourite fruit.
Pop
This is another mainstay for a movie or game night. But the acid and sugar is combination that won’t do your teeth any favours. Replace your pop with water or your favourite juice. It might not be the same thing, but your teeth with thank you for it.
Be Smart
Making the right decisions when it comes to snacking is an important part of keeping your teeth healthy. The variety of recipes and ideas out there are endless. Get creative and help you and your guest’s teeth stay beautiful and sparkling.
Want Some Help?
If you have questions about how you can make your healthy snacks more tooth-friendly or if you need a teeth cleaning, contact our team today. We’ll be happy to help.