Holiday treats for healthy teeth
The festive season has arrived and its time of celebrate with friends and family… and food. And don’t worry, there are delicious foods that are great for encouraging healthy teeth. If you make a few simple additions to your Christmas menu, your teeth will certainly be thanking you!
Dairy, vegetables and fruit are great choices for healthy teeth
Eating more crunchy fruits and vegetables, drinking more tap water, and limiting sugary snacks to mealtime, rather than between meals, are three major things you can do to increase your oral and general health. Numerous vegetables with high water content include important vitamins and minerals which promote healthy teeth and gums, while eating raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery and raw broccoli, help to stimulate saliva which acts to cleanse the mouth of food particles and acids and potentially help to remove plaque1. Also, adding dairy to the menu means plenty of opportunities to up your calcium intake. Hard cheese and plain milk are the healthiest options and protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium needed to remineralise your teeth2.
Indulge in a fruit, veggie and cheese Christmas tree!
Choose your favourite treats to make a tasty Christmas tree with fruit, veggies and cheese! Just cut the vegetables and fruit of your choice into slices and arrange to form a tree. Place cubes or shapes of your favourite cheese to represent decorations on the tree. You can even tuck fresh thyme sprigs between the layers. Slices of carrot, celery or cucumber are the finishing touch for a perfect tree trunk.
1 https://www.ada.org.au/News-Media/News-and-Release/Latest-News/National-Nutrition-Week-2019
2 https://www.ada.org.au/News-Media/News-and-Release/Latest-News/Dietitians-Day-2019
