The Superbowl is equal parts football and food. For most of us, it’s a time to gather with friends and family to observe a great game, and overindulge on tasty treats. But, a lot of the big-game snacks aren’t healthy for your body or your teeth. This Superbowl, try adding these foods to the celebration for more oral health benefits.
1 – Cheese
Cheese prevents other foods from hurting your teeth as you eat it, which makes it a great Superbowl snack. It’s high in calcium, which promotes strong teeth and bones. But the benefits of cheese don’t end there. It also contains a protein called casein which strengthens tooth enamel and helps to prevent cavities. Cheese also helps prevent acid from destroying tooth enamel. We suggest buying a cheese tray with an assortment of pre-sliced cheese. Or, if you’re feeling extravagant, try your hand at making fondue.
2 – Carrots
Carrots are full of fiber and scrub plaque away as they are chewed. Carrots also stimulate saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth. In addition to cleaning teeth, carrots also contain multiple B vitamins, which fight gingivitis! Carrots make fantastic finger foods, and are easy to use as dippers. We suggest substituting carrots in place of starchy finger foods like chips, crackers and bread.
3 – Yogurt Dips
Dips are a popular Superbowl tradition, and there are countless recipes online. A good number of dips have a sour cream base, which can easily be substituted for non fat Greek yogurt. Like cheese, yogurt is high in calcium and casein, but it also contains a high amount of healthy bacteria. The healthy bacteria in yogurt helps fight the bad bacteria that can stick to your teeth and lead to cavities. Try finding a popular dip recipe like French Onion or Artichoke Dip, and replacing the sour cream with yogurt.
4 – Nuts
Finger foods are a Superbowl mainstay, but most of them – like starchy chips and crackers – are quite bad for teeth. Nuts are an incredible substitute for finger foods, and they’re great for teeth. Nuts have an incredible amount of fiber, calcium and protein, all of which benefit teeth. Fiber cleans teeth by scrubbing away plaque, and calcium and protein strengthen teeth. All of these oral benefits make nuts a better choice for your teeth than some of the other finger foods.
Don’t Forget about Water!
By incorporating some of the foods above, you can have a healthier Superbowl, but don’t forget to add water! Water is the perfect mouth-healthy drink that stimulates saliva to clean teeth, and rinses acid from the surface of teeth to help prevent decay. This Superbowl, skip the sodas and choose water instead.
