When it comes to oral health, you have to pay attention to the foods that cause damage to your teeth. But do you know which vegetable salad and fruits can benefit your dental health the most?
According to the American Dental Association or ADA, healthy eating patterns and food choices can help extensively prevent tooth decay. Conversely, choosing bad foods for your teeth can negatively impact your oral health.
Most of you know a lot about the foods and drinks that can promote tooth decay, cavities, infection, and inflammation. However, you might not realize that certain vegetables could actively improve the health of your teeth and gums.
Knowing more about these foods encourages excellent oral care. Additionally, try to include them into your diet as it is a phenomenal way to keep your teeth strong, white, and free from dental ailments.
See What the Power of Vegetable Salad
While there are a wide range of food items that can be beneficial for the teeth. Did you know that many of them can be easily combined in just a single salad bowl? From leafy greens to your favorite fruits, veggies, and nuts, a salad is a power lunch like no other.
The fresh, common ingredients in a salad keep your teeth strong and healthy. Therefore, consider incorporating a salad into your daily lunch routine for the long-term benefits of your oral health.
Healthy Reasons to Eat Vegetable Salads
Have you had your vegetable salad today? Eating salad almost every day might be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt for yourself and your family. It is one of the simplest ways to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
Eating vegetable salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and fruit. You should choose green leafy salads on the menu as it is the most healthy choice.
You can even buy a side salad with carrots and tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing for a buck at most of the fast food chains these days. You can also prepare a green salad at home in 5 minutes. Prepare a healthy bowl containing a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other vegetables, and a bottle of light salad dressing.
Not only that, but salads are crunchy, calm, and fun to eat with lots of textures, colors, and flavors. Most people enjoy eating salads and even kids too. You can customize them to include the vegetables and fruits that appeal to you the most and whichever ones you have at home.
Exploring the Most Tooth-friendly Vegetable Salad Ingredients
As you might know, salads are one of the most versatile foods one can make. Found in nearly every cuisine and culture, salads are a dietary option that can include virtually any fresh fruits and vegetable.
However, only certain veggies are great for your teeth, so ensure you load your salad up with these specific foods for optimal oral health.
When you talk about the health of your teeth, we are also what we eat every day. Sugary foods and drinks like candy and soda are major tooth decay contributors. This list of fruits and vegetables you can add to your diet that supports and improve your oral health:
Leafy greens:
Green leafy vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals and are exceptionally low in calories. Green vegetables should be a star in your diet because they have several health benefits without being heavy or calorie-dense. Great examples of leafy greens include kale leaves, spinach, chard, or collard greens. They are stellar at promoting good oral health. Besides providing vitamins and minerals, they help you produce saliva to clean your mouth and keep the enamel healthy.
They are rich in calcium and can build your teeth enamel. Green veggies contain folic acid, a type of B vitamin. Folic acid can treat gum disease and is very helpful for pregnant women. A tasty way to include them into your diet is to add a handful of them to your salad or pizza order. Some people even add them to their smoothies.
If you do not go too heavy on the toppings or dressings, you could eat as many leafy greens as you want. You can easily add these leafy greens to a salad or smoothie to enjoy its benefits.
Carrots:
Carrots are full of fiber and are crunchy vegetables. Eating a handful of raw carrots at the end of your meals can significantly increase saliva production in your mouth. When this happens, you will naturally reduce your risk of cavities. Carrots are also a great source of vitamin A as they are high in fiber.
Apples:
Everyone knows that they should cut down their intake of sugary and sweet foods. But apples are an exception. While they may be sweet, they are high in water and fiber, and help increase saliva production. With this great benefit, you will be able to rinse away food and bacteria particles. Also, the fibrous texture of fruit helps stimulate the gums and can tide you over until you brush again.
Celery:
Although celery has a bland taste, never be fooled by the bad reputation it gets. The vegetable is rich in vitamins C, and A acts a bit like a toothbrush when you chew it. Celery helps scrape bacteria and minute particles away from your teeth. They also boost the health of your gums.
Cranberries:
Cranberries are known to contain polyphenols that are super helpful in keeping plaque from sticking to your teeth. In addition, polyphenols can lower your risk of cavities in the process. However, make sure your cranberries are organic, as many cranberry products have added sugar in them.
Why do Apples, Carrots, and Celery Help Your Teeth?
Instead of grabbing a dessert or candy bar, if you have a sweet tooth, eat an apple instead. Apples provide fiber and hydration for your body. By replacing sugary treats with apples, you are directly promoting good saliva production in the mouth.
Celery can help clean your teeth because the texture can scrape leftover food particles and harmful bacteria away from your teeth. Additionally, carrots and celery are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber. Add raw carrots to your salad, or enjoy some baby carrots as a snack.
Summer Vegetable Salad for Your Dental Health
It is a hot area, temperatures are touching 100 degrees, and the air conditioners are working overtime to keep us all cool. During this time of the year, it is challenging to find ways to stay cool and light. Wearing light-colored and loose clothes is a good idea for keeping your body feeling cool. How about your diet? Are there foods that you crave more when it’s this hot out? Fresh and cold salads are a refreshing option for feeling fresh and light.
You should note that what you put in your body could affect your dental health. Summer salads are an excellent way to fuel your body and boost your dental health.
Here is a list of top dental-boosting ingredients to add to your summer salad.
- Start preparing your salad with a big pile of spinach. Spinach is high in calcium, good for your teeth’ enamel.
- Throw some almonds on top of your salad. Folic acid, fiber, calcium, and other vitamins are beneficial to your teeth and gums.
- Strawberries, a rich source of vitamins, add pretty color to your salad. Moreover, they are also a good whitener for your enamel. The malic acids in strawberries act as a natural whitener.
- Add cheese to your salad. Most of these cheeses have high levels of phosphate and calcium in it. Hence they strengthen your teeth and bones and help balance the pH levels in your mouth.
Health Reasons to Reach for a Vegetable Salad
Here are a few health reasons to reach for a salad today:
1. Eat Salads for the Fiber
Surprisingly, things that you cannot digest can be so good for you. Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and also prevent constipation. Moreover, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller. Ultimately you eat less and lose weight.
2 Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Many experts agree that you need to eat more fruits and vegetables, incredibly dark green and orange vegetables. They should form the main ingredient of your salad. There is plenty of evidence that nutrient-rich plant foods contribute to overall health, including oral health.
If you frequently eat green vegetable salads, you will likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants. For example, vitamin C and E, lycopene, folic acid, and alpha- and beta-carotene, mainly if your salad includes some raw vegetables.
3 Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
If losing weight is your goal, you should start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green vegetable salad of 150 calories or less, is super healthy. It enhances satiety i.e. feelings of fullness, and reduces the total number of calories eaten during your meal. And they are suitable for your teeth and gums as well.
4 Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Do for forget to eat a little good fat like the monounsaturated fat found in avocado, olive oil, and nuts) with your vegetable salads. It helps your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.
Conclusion
Remember that oral health prevention is the best medicine for your smile and dental health. It is even more important than you may realize for overall health. What you eat plays a significant role in this. This means the foods you choose and how and when you eat them affect your general health and the health of your gums and teeth. The good news is tooth decay, and oral problems are entirely preventable with good dental hygiene. And regular dental visits – and a healthy diet does the job.
Dr. Amal Al Qedrah Medical Center
Royal European Specialist Polyclinic