Are you thinking about the foods coming at you during this upcoming holiday season? If you’re like most people, the visions that fill your head are rich pies, delicious sweets, and a cavalcade of fatty foods that will leave you feeling full and content. Unfortunately, this assortment of treats also has a tendency to commit atrocities on your oral health. Wouldn’t it be great if there were holiday foods that were not only safe for your teeth but would actually help them remain strong and resilient? To help you weather the upcoming holiday, we’ve provided a few recipes you can try out during your next gathering.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
When the winter chill begins seeping its way into your bones, and the frost building up on the window threatens to leave you shivering, warm soup is just the thing. When you add calcium-rich cheese and iron filled broccoli to the mix, your teeth are going to thank you as well!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 2 cups of broccoli (more or less to taste)
- 1 cup of diced onion
- Three medium carrots
- Two cloves garlic
- ½ t salt
- ¼ t pepper
- ¾ cup heavy whipped cream
- 4 ounces of good sharp cheddar, shredded
Directions:
Rough chop the broccoli, carrots, and onions and reduce the garlic to a fine mince. Heat the stock to a rolling boil in a large saucepan and add them all to the mix. Reduce the burner’s heat and allow to simmer until the broccoli has become tender. Take the soup off the heat and use a hand mixer to blend it. Then restore the soup to the pan and mix in the cream and half the cheese. Save the remaining cheese to top the soup.
Yogurt Dip With A Caramel Twist
Apples are a great treat for your teeth until you add a sugary dip or sticky coating of caramel to them. This recipe gives all the flavor of caramel without that stickiness that can be so troublesome.
Ingredients:
- ¼ t salt
- 1 T honey
- ¼ c brown sugar
- 6 oz of yogurt (plain)
- 1 t vanilla extract
Mix together the salt, sugar, and syrup in a small saucepan and dissolve the sugar completely by heating it. Take it off of the heat and introduce the vanilla and the yogurt. Leave it to cool. This treat is great served with slices of apple, banana, or mango.
The holidays are a delightful time to bond with friends and family, and there’s no denying that the foods we encounter along the way are delicious. By bringing these selections to any gatherings you attend, you’re not only providing a healthy alternative to the typically sugary repasts offered, but you’re also improving the dental health of everyone there! Dr. Victor Bustos at 3D Dentistry knows that dental health benefits from a diet that provides the minerals and nutrients the teeth need to thrive. Eat up and then schedule your next visit to our offices in Bradenton, FL today, and protect that beautiful smile from year to year!
