The food you eat shouldn’t just satisfy your hunger, it should nourish and support your health. Eating healthy can have a positive impact on your whole body, including your dental health. Continue reading for 5 tips for a healthy lunch.
1. Avoid Sugar
You might have heard that sugar can be bad for you. One of our first tips for a healthy lunch is to limit the sugar content, and here’s why.
Sugar, on its own, isn’t harmful for your teeth, but when sugar comes into contact with your saliva, it feeds the naturally occurring bacteria in your saliva, which produces an acid. The resulting acidic environment is erosive to your teeth. If your teeth are exposed to excessive amounts of sugar over time, this can lead to cavities, or small holes, forming in the surface of your teeth.
2. Avoid Refined Carbs
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate and refined carbohydrates and other starches react similarly with your saliva. This is why it’s best to limit your intake of refined carbs and instead opt for healthier whole grains that offer more health benefits.
3. Eat Fresh Foods
One of our top tips for a healthy lunch is simply to focus on eating fresh, whole foods. Whole fruits, raw veggies, beans, fish, leafy greens like kale and spinach, and other fresh foods are all excellent sources of the nutrients your teeth need to stay healthy and strong.
4. Eat Crunchy Foods
Crunchy foods like apples, carrots, pears, and celery are all especially great, fresh food choices for your dental health because chewing them helps to stimulate circulation in your gums and can even help to scrub your teeth. What could be better than a food that actually works to clean your teeth while you eat it?
5. More Vitamins and Minerals
Your teeth need lots of vitamins and minerals to support their health. When choosing lunch options, look for foods that contain high amounts of the vitamins and minerals your body needs for healthy teeth and bones. Dairy is a great example, with calcium, vitamin D, and lots of other nutrients that support your dental health.
Call our Centennial Dental Office, to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.
