Did you know your pantry could be the leading cause of your tooth decay? Many people keep their pantry loaded with chips, candies, cookies and sugary snacks that don’t provide any true nutritional value or benefit for our oral health.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have a few snacks you enjoy from time to time, but don’t let your pantry become the headquarters of snacks that reduce your oral health.
Take a moment to learn how you can make smart snacking decisions.
Read Food Labels at the Store
I know, life is fast paced and you may not have much time to read labels at the grocery store. But you most definitely should. You’d be surprised how many products come packed with sugar. Most cereals have more sugar than you’d expect.
Most dairy products have around 10g or more of sugar per serving. Granola bars and other snack bars have 5g or more of sugar per serving. Everything is loaded with sugar, and sugar not only leads to an increase in cavities, but also an increase in tooth decay over time.
Next time you’re at the store, turn the box or bag over and see how much sugar is added.
Make a Slow Transition to Smart Snacking
If you know it’s going to be a difficult transition from your typical snacks to healthier options, start small and make a steady transition. If you have kids, it’s going to be much more difficult making the transition, but we promise it can happen if you take it slow.
Introduce a new, healthier snack every week. Instead of buying that typical bag of chips, exchange it for a favorite fruit. Grab some bananas, pineapple or peaches. Natural sugars are much better for your body and teeth.
After a few weeks, you’ll have replaced the unhealthy with the healthy. Not only will you feel better, but your oral health will be improved drastically. Then you’ll keep tooth decay away and save money not having cavities filled or root canal therapy.
Consider Healthy Snack Subscriptions
Snack subscription boxes have become quite popular. You subscribe to a company that supplies healthy snacks, like granola, nuts, dried fruit and other goodies, and have a certain amount delivered to your house every week or month. It’s a great option because you don’t have to spend time going to the store, making healthy selections or anything. Let the company do it all for you and then just enjoy them at home.
A few of the most popular are Graze, NatureBox and Healthy Surprise. You can find a more extensive list with additional information online at Fitness Magazine.
What does snacking look like for you? Should you adjust your snacking habits for both your overall and oral health? We’d recommend making some adjustments to improve your health. Healthy snacking can make all the difference.
Need to speak to a Birmingham AL dentist about the health of your teeth? Perfect. We know the right dentist for you—Dr. Gentry Gonzalez. Sign up for an appointment to meet our incredible staff and top-rated Birmingham AL dentist.
[maxbutton id=”1″]
