Cooking for Oral Hygiene Health
We often think of cooking healthy recipes as a way to nourish our bodies, but recipes can also be used to maintain good oral hygiene. Putting the right foods into our bodies via tasty recipes is a great way to have healthy teeth. The health of our teeth can be maintained from within as well as from the outside. Making recipes that contain foods such as dairy products and fruits and vegetables is as important as brushing your teeth.
A great yet simple recipe that aids oral health is a fruit salad. Simply cut up your favorite fruits and mix together. Strawberries, apples, blueberries, pineapple, oranges, kiwi fruit, and just about all fruits contain vitamin C, which is essential for gum health. A fruit salad will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, allowing you to enjoy it for several days. Be sure to brush your teeth after enjoying the fruit salad to rid your teeth of the sugar in the fruit.
Vegetables are also important for oral hygiene. Eating lots of vegetables can help ward off gingivitis, and vegetables containing vitamin A help us to form tooth enamel. There are tons of recipes for vegetables. Stir-fries can be made completely with vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, onions, celery, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and peppers. Recipes for pasta sauce often call for adding chopped onions, celery, and tomatoes; you can also add puree these vegetables and add them to the sauce to create a smooth rather than chunky pasta sauce.
Other recipes for vegetables call for them to be steamed, roasted, or sauteed. Vegetables can be included in casseroles, gratins, side dishes, main dishes, soups, and even desserts. Including as many vegetables as you can in every recipe you prepare will continue to improve your oral hygiene. Even eating raw vegetables can clean your teeth and gums.
Another important food group for oral health is dairy. There are the obvious choices like milk, yogurt, and even ice cream. An easy recipe for incorporating dairy is a smoothie. In a blender, mix together one cup of yogurt, 4-5 ice cubes, and one cup of frozen fruit; blend for one min on high. Making homemade ice cream using a recipe and an ice cream maker is a tasty way to incorporate more dairy into your diet, which will improve your oral health.
Make dairy an important part of a meal by using recipes that incorporate a lot of cheese. Many Mexican-inspired recipes use cheese, such as enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and nachos. Italian recipes like chicken and eggplant parmesan also use liberal amounts of cheese. The calcium found in these types of foods can help strengthen teeth.
In addition to brushing your teeth and getting routine teeth cleanings, incorporating the right foods and recipes into your diet can aid in maintaining your good oral health. Recipes for foods containing fruits, vegetables, and dairy are easy to make and taste great. Good oral hygiene is extremely important to your overall health, and eating healthy using great-tasting recipes is one of the keys.