Summertime Snack Time
When the heat of summer is in full swing, sometimes we tend to gravitate toward snacks that aren’t the best for us, or our teeth. We’re often busiest throughout the summer, which also makes it harder to take the time needed to nourish our bodies properly. Sometimes, having some healthy, tooth-friendly snacks on hand can help keep the processed treats at bay for just a little longer. Remember that eating healthy causes a chain reaction. A healthy mouth often leads to a healthy body!
Dangerous Sugar
More often than not, you’ve heard that sugar can be bad for your teeth. But do you know why? When you eat or drink sugar-filled treats, it creates the perfect storm for tooth decay. The sugar meets with the natural bacteria in your saliva, creating an enamel-eating acid that goes straight to work on your pearly whites.
It sounds scary, right? Now, a single gram of sugar isn’t going to rot all of the teeth out of your head. But it is part of the reason why it’s incredibly important to maintain a good oral hygiene routine by brushing and flossing twice a day and keeping your regular cleanings with your dentist. Even so, it might be a good idea to grab tooth-friendly snacks that will make your mouth extra happy instead.
Healthy Grabs
Sometimes, having the tooth-healthy option readily available is exactly what you need. Keep a bowl of your favorite fruits on the counter. Stock the bowl full of apples for a good, warm-weather crunchy treat! Keep a can of nuts like almonds, cashews, or peanuts in the pantry for protein-filled, tooth-friendly snacks.
Popsicles
If you have children, these rainbow popsicles are sure to be a hit! You can change up the recipe however you’d like to meet each personal taste. This particular recipe contains bananas, greek yogurt, your liquid of choice, and various frozen fruits. Bananas and Greek yogurt both contain vitamins and minerals such as potassium and calcium that help strengthen your enamel!
Fruit and Veggie Skewers
A quick and easy snack option would be some fruit and veggie skewers. You can just grab whatever fresh fruit and vegetables you have on hand and go for it, or glean some ideas from online sources.
This recipe for a prosciutto fruit skewer makes me hungry just looking at it! If you have a summer event planned, it just might be the perfect treat. It’s stacked with things like brie cheese, grapes, green apples, and arugula. Leafy greens like arugula are especially good for your teeth!
Watermelon Fries
The very idea of french fries and watermelon together might not sound particularly appetizing, but trust me on this one. Created with yogurt (you can use Greek yogurt if you’d prefer) and watermelon chopped into bite-sized sticks, it’s sure to be a summertime snack that the whole family enjoys! Yogurt is packed with calcium, which is incredibly good for the enamel on your teeth. Watermelon isn’t too bad either. Because the fruit is so full of water, it helps boost your own hydration and wash away any pesky bacteria hiding inside your mouth.
Salsa Snack
In Texas, salsa is a staple. It varies drastically from person to person, from place to place. Some taste fresh and juicy, others, so spicy they bring tears to your eyes.
This peach salsa is bound to be on the fresh end of the spectrum. Believe it or not, peaches have fluoride in them, which can help prevent cavities. For a nice, summer take on some fresh salsa, this might be a hit! Another salsa recipe to include the fluoride-rich peaches would be this tasty, summertime salsa option, healthy fruit salsa.
Drink Smart
Some of our favorite summer snack options might not be the best for us. As we well know, drinks like Coke and sweet tea can be a detriment to enamel on our teeth. Try to stick to drinks like water whenever possible. To help satisfy those sweet cravings, consider dropping some fruit inside to infuse the water with whatever flavor you’d like! A few options that could very well make your taste buds sing include strawberry-lavender water or this grape and mint-infused water.
Keep on top of your oral health over the summer months.
As many of us crave those processed snack options, reaching for tooth-friendly snacks options during the summer can be especially difficult. But with just a little planning, it could be just a bit easier to make better choices for your oral health.
An important step to maintaining good oral hygiene all year long is to keep up your regular dental cleanings. After all, prevention is key when it comes to taking care of that smile of yours. Before the season becomes too busy, don’t forget to contact us to get your summer dental appointments on that calendar!
