Healthy Daytime Snacks that are Easy on Your Teeth

One of the benefits of working or learning from home is that we typically have more choices for meals and snacks than we might have at school or at the office. This can be both a good and bad thing. When your stomach starts rumbling or you’re feeling low on energy, it can be all too easy to reach for the wrong snack, whether you’re at home, at school, or at the office.

Unfortunately, eating snacks that are high in processed sugars may help perk you up in the short term, but they often make the situation worse in the long term– not to mention the fact that they’re bad for your teeth. If you’re smart about how you snack, however, you’ll feel better and have more energy – energy that’s more likely to last until the bell rings or the workday is done.

Here’s the good news: The types of snacks that are good for your teeth are often best for your overall health, mood, and energy, too! It should come as no surprise that some of the best snacks are the ones that don’t contain a lot of artificial sugar, the ones that don’t stick to your teeth or hang around in your mouth after they’re no longer welcome, and the ones that contain healthy nutrients that your teeth and body need. Some of these even help to stimulate saliva, which is your mouth’s first line of defense. You’ll get all of these benefits without experiencing a sugar crash an hour later!

Here’s a list of healthy daytime snacks that are approved by your Kansas City family dentist. They’re great for both adults and kids and they won’t contribute to dental health problems down the road, especially if you brush after eating them!

• Apples and peanut butter
• Frozen banana
• Edamame
• Carrot and celery sticks
• Grapes
• Cheese and whole-grain crackers
• Yogurt and berries
• Kale chips (they’re not that bad, actually)
• D.I.Y. trail mix (avoid adding chocolate chips or candy)
• Oat and date energy bites (you’ll find lots of recipes for these online)
• Hummus and veggie sticks or bell pepper slices
• Hard boiled eggs
• Zucchini or cucumber slices
• Roasted chickpeas
• Broccoli or cauliflower florets
• Low salt popcorn
• Rice cakes
• Whole grain toast with berries or banana slices
• Cottage cheese and pineapple chunks
• Nuts and seeds

Wash your snack down with plenty of plain or sparkling water. If you want a change of pace, go for fat-free milk, unsweetened coffee or tea, low-sodium tomato or mixed vegetable juice, almond or soymilk, or 100% fruit juice. Water is always your best bet, though. Even all-natural fruit and vegetable juice can be acidic enough to damage teeth if you drink too much, and it can be easy to drink more calories than you realize.

Snacking between meals can help keep your hunger and energy levels well managed throughout the day, but it’s also important to avoid “stress snacking” and to make sure you take breaks from your work. Sometimes, a short walk will do the job better than a snack!

Of course, no matter what you eat, you’ll still need to visit your Kansas City family dentist. Just give Blacker Family Dental a call at (816) 763-8400 or click here to schedule an appointment. And if you’ve found a great, tooth-healthy snacking option, let us know about it when you come see us!