Christmas is a time of year when many of us tear up the diet rulebooks and go to town with edible treats. While it’s enjoyable to indulge your taste buds at this time of year, spare a thought for your teeth. If you’re keen to preserve your smile, here are 5 tooth-friendly food swaps to consider:
- Honey-roasted ham for salmon: ham is a traditional crowd-pleaser at Christmas, but if you’ve basted the joint in treacle, cola or honey, the sugar content will increase significantly. Instead of a honey-roasted ham this year, why not opt for salmon instead? You can use salmon as a main dish or create tasty canapes. Salmon is rich in omega oils and essential fats, which help to keep your gum healthy.
- Full fat for diet drinks: if you’re cracking open the pop or choosing mixers to go with spirits, opt for diet versions, as they contain very little sugar. Although diet drinks are sugar-free, they are still acidic, so use a straw and avoid drinking them between meals.
- Christmas pudding for a cheese board: Christmas pudding may taste great, but it’s packed with sugar and sticky raisins that will cling to the teeth. Instead, opt for a cheese board. Cheese is high in calcium and it also has a high pH value, which helps to neutralize acids in the mouth.
- Sugary cereals for porridge: it’s Christmas morning and you need plenty of energy to get through the day. Instead of reaching for sugary breakfast cereals, make a bowl of porridge. Porridge oats are high in fibre, they release energy slowly and they have a much lower sugar content. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, add blueberries, a banana or a spoonful of honey.
- Eggnog for prosecco: if you’re having a drink this Christmas, choose prosecco instead of eggnog. Prosecco has a much lower sugar content and it’s also less calorific. Try and stick to drinking at mealtimes only, as prosecco is acidic.
Tags: Advice, christmas, Food Swaps, oral health
