We may be All About Teeth, but that doesn’t mean we’re only about teeth. When Aunt Patty presents her awe-inspiring pumpkin pie at the tail end of Thanksgiving dinner, you bet your boots we’re going to have a slice – à la mode, no less. And if you hand us a big glass of eggnog and point to a platter of Christmas cookies, our reaction won’t surprise you in the least.
All we’re saying is this: no one with a pulse can resist some sugary holiday treats. Aunt Patty wouldn’t understand why someone would turn down pie, and we don’t blame her.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t make healthy choices, too! If you want to enjoy your holiday season and feel a little better about yourself going into whichever year comes after this one, then you can add a few mouth-friendly snacks to your usual mélange of treats. Here are five ideas to get you started!
Fruit Salad
What’s even better than one fruit? That’s right: several different kinds of fruits. If you want a festive, colorful snack that has a lower impact on your oral health, then you and your guests will love a nice bowl of fruit salad.
We love this particular recipe by food blogger She Loves Biscotti. Oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, peaches, apricots and pears are all easy to find at Albertsons. They’re just as pretty as they are delicious when they’re all blended together. And best of all? Not one grain of added sugar.
Fruit is pretty sugary on its own, of course. We advise having a quick brush after eating it.
Veggie Tray
Vegetables will never be quite as popular as double fudge brownies, but from a dentist’s perspective they’re about the best thing that can happen to your teeth. They’re low in sugar, they have a ton of other health benefits, and they provide a delightful crunch with every bite.
Assembling a veggie tray is easy: just place veggies on a tray until you run out of veggies or tray. We like this recipe by Somewhat Simple, which recommends starting with a cute serving tray and includes a few vegetables the average home chef might have overlooked. Snap peas? Radishes? Jicama? Ooh la la, now we’re getting fancy.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
It doesn’t matter how good you were this year. If Santa enters your living room and doesn’t see chocolate chip cookies, he’s going to stuff your stocking so full of coal that you’ll be pulling out diamonds.
But did you know those all-important cookies don’t have to contain sugar? It’s true! The Sugar Free Diva has a great recipe that calls for any sugar alternatives and sugar-free chocolate chips you happen to prefer. Choose stevia, xylitol, or some other healthy natural sweetener and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying teeth-friendlier cookies!
Sugar-Free Coconut Macaroons
The macaroon is widely regarded as a bad food for teeth – and rightly so, because it’s one of the most sugar-packed substances ever invented.
But it doesn’t have to be. This brilliant recipe by Mrs. Criddle’s Kitchen calls for just seven ingredients: unsweetened coconut, almond flour, non-sugar sweetener, egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt. Granted, eating these little condensed balls of bliss isn’t as good for your teeth as … oh, say, flossing, but once again we aren’t crazy food tyrants who don’t want you to have any fun this holiday season.
And remember: a macaron with one O is something else all together. If you want a sugar-free version of that delicacy, then we refer you to Wholesome Yum.
Cheese
Smile and say “Cheese!” And you may just smile even brighter thanks to the cow’s greatest gift to humanity. In addition to containing zero added sugar, cheese is naturally high in calcium – the very mineral your body needs in order to keep your teeth strong.
But cheese’s mouth-friendly benefits don’t end there. It preserves healthy tooth enamel by stimulating the production of saliva, which helps to cancel out the harmful effects of sugar-eating oral bacteria’s acidic excretions. Cheese may also reduce levels of carcinogenic bacteria in your mouth!
Monterey jack, brie, camembert and gorgonzola are all especially tooth-friendly cheeses, but no cheese is bad for your teeth. Make sure to think up lots of creative cheese puns before serving cheese to your guests if you want maximum hosting points.
Is sugar still on your menu this holiday season? Don’t worry about it. You know a guy who can help. Just call (435) 75-BRUSH to schedule your teeth cleaning at All About Teeth in Logan, Utah!
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