Make Your Game Day Snacks More Smile-Friendly

MANY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS gather together on a weekly basis to watch their favorite teams go head to head. And while people come to watch the game, we all know what they’re really there for… the food!

Traditional game day snacks may be delicious–think wings, sliders, nachos, pizza–but they are certainly not the healthiest for our bodies, or our teeth for that matter.

Make Healthier Choices On Game Day

October is one of the busiest sports months of the year. For all you sports fans out there, you’re going to have a lot of games to watch and, as a result, a lot of unhealthy finger food you may be planning to eat. Making healthier choices for the big game is easy… and well worth it!

For more smile-friendly snacks, try these healthy alternatives to traditional game day food:

  • Veggie-filled wraps instead of sliders. Leafy greens contain vitamins essential for healthy teeth and gums.
  • Yogurt instead of ice cream. You know dairy is good for your teeth! But watch out for added sugars you can find in ice cream and some yogurts. Make a greek yogurt parfait or a yogurt-based dip for fruit to protect those chompers.
  • Bruschetta instead of pizza. Fresh-made bruschetta, especially with calcium-rich cheese on top, is a great substitute for greasy pizza.
  • Vegetables instead of chips. Refined, starchy foods can be worse for your teeth than sugar. Bake your own kale chips or substitute cucumbers, celery, and carrots for greasy chips. You’ll get that crunch factor you crave as well as protect your teeth from decay.
  • Zucchini or sweet potato fries instead of french fries. Bake your fries instead of deep-fry them. Sweet potatoes have a lot of vitamin C which promotes healthy gums. Zucchini has an extremely high water content which will get your saliva flowing.

You could even try this healthy spinach and artichoke dip at your next watch-party!

Here’s another fun fact: including apples and strawberries in your snack game plan can actually help whiten your teeth! These fruits contain malic acid which removes surface stains from your teeth and whitens enamel.

In addition, nuts, celery, carrots and again, apples, are great finger foods that work as natural toothbrushes. That’s right! Because of their abrasive texture, they naturally remove bacteria and plaque. They also increase saliva production, helping to wash away food particles and bacteria in your mouth. So the next time you want to just eat the wings and leave the celery, think again.

Eat Right For A Winning Smile

We know you want your team to win the big game, but it’s even more important to have a winning smile! What are your favorite healthy game day snacks? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to get some more ideas!

Happy watching to all our sports fans!

Top image by Flickr user Abdulla Al Muhairi used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Pence Family Dentistry members of Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation
Voted best dentist in Indiana 2022 by Expertise
Pence Family Dentistry in Indianapolis is an American Dental Association member
International
Indiana Dental Association membership badge
Contact Us

    317-842-2337
    9744 Lantern Rd Fishers, IN 46037
    We are happy to welcome Dr. Richard Weber, DDS, and his patients to our practice!
    This is default text for notification bar

    TEXT OUR OFFICE

    Text message is limited to 160 characters.

    HOW IT WORKS

    1. Enter your Name.
    2. Enter your Cell Phone Number, area code first
    3. Enter your text message in the box.
    4. Click "Send Text"
    5. A copy of this text will be sent to the office and to your cell phone. The office's reply will also be sent to your cell phone where you can continue the text conversation.
    Note: Mobile message and data rates from your cell phone carrier may apply.Close ClickToCall Button
    NagiosCheckValue - Do not remove please