4 Healthy Recipes that are Easy on your Teeth

We know the first few trays can cause some discomfort, don’t worry though, we’re here with four recipes that are easy to chew – plus, they’re good for your teeth!

Did you know that the health of your teeth can be impacted by what you eat? Most of us know that coffee, tea, and other acidic things aren’t the best and that calcium is on the good side. Well, keep reading to know more about what your teeth crave, and hopefully we can give you some inspiration for a meal you both can agree on!

Calcium helps harden your enamel and strengthen your jaw!
Find me in: milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, and salmon.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb our friend’s calcium while boosting bone density!
Your body naturally makes Vitamin D when you’re exposed to the sun, but you can also find me in fatty fish, canned tuna, and portobello mushrooms.

Phosphorus is like calcium’s sidekick in helping build strong bones and teeth.
Luckily phosphorus is found in a large variety of foods! Seafood, beef, pork, and cheese are great places to get your phosphorus up. Or try plant-based foods like soybeans, lentils, and pumpkin seeds.

Vitamin K is the shield that protects from substances breaking down bone.
The secret to vitamin K is kept in leafy greens like kale, collards, and spinach.

Vitamin C helps to strengthen your gums and other soft tissue. It can protect against gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease, and can prevent your teeth from loosening.
Find Vitamin C in citrus fruits, potatoes, and leafy greens.

Vitamin A prevents dry mouth and helps your mouth heal quickly.
Get your fill of vitamin A from fish, egg yolks, and liver. You can also find it in leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens, or in orange-colored fruits and oranges: think apricots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes. These fruits and veggies contain high levels of beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A.

Morning Muffins 

Start your morning off right by supplying your body and teeth with their fill of vitamins and minerals, like omega-3s, vitamin A, and fiber. These muffins are a delicious but healthy cross between a cinnamon apple muffin and carrot cake, featuring whole grains, fruit, carrots, walnuts, and warm spices.

12 muffins  —  Prep Time: 15 mins.  –  Cook Time: 20 mins.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  
• 1 apple, shredded
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups grated carrot (about 3 medium)
  
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Steps:

1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. In a large bowl add the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt; whisk well to combine. Add in the applesauce, oil, apple, and vanilla; whisk just until combined. Fold in the carrot, raisins, coconut, and walnuts; stir until ingredients are combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with just a few crumbs attached). Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad 

Whip up some chicken salad for lunch. This tooth-healthy chicken salad is made with dried cranberries, celery, almonds, chicken, and Greek yogurt providing sweetness, fiber, healthy fat, protein, and calcium. This quick + easy recipe is full of flavor, vitamins and it’s not too hard on your teeth!

5 servings — Prep Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, craisins, or other dried fruit
• 1/4 cup (about 1 stalk) celery, diced
• 1/4 cup red or white onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans
• 6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Bake or boil chicken ahead of time. You can also just buy a rotisserie chicken! 
2. Shred or chop chicken. 
3. In a medium-size bowl combine chicken, dried cranberries, celery, onion, and chopped almonds.
4. Stir in Greek yogurt, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Wrap the salad in lettuce wraps or a tortilla.
6. Store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Black Bean Cheese Quesadillas 

For a quick and hearty lunch, these black bean and cheese quesadillas with salsa and cumin are perfect. The black beans, cheese, and sour cream on the top provides that protein and calcium you need for strong teeth!

4 servings —  Prep Time: 15 minutes  –  Cook time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Black Beans
• 1 1/2 cups salsa, mild or spicy
•  1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese mix
•  8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
•  1/3 cup sour cream

Steps:

1. Empty one can of beans into a bowl and mash gently with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Mix in the remaining can of whole beans, 1 cup of salsa, and cumin.
2. Spread mixture evenly on 4 tortillas; top each with cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas.
3. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook quesadillas 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Cut into wedges and serve with remaining salsa and sour cream on the side for dipping.

Yummy Banana Ice-Cream

A great quick fix for a sweet dessert that will make you forget about your achy teeth is frozen banana ice cream! The bonus here is that there’s no added sugar! You could top your banana cream with healthy add-ins like peanut butter, strawberries, or dark chocolate.

2 serving —  Prep Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana

Steps:

1. Peel and chop your ripe banana into small pieces.
2. Put the bananas in an air-tight freezer-safe container and place it into the freezer until frozen solid. This will take at least 2 hours, but you can do this overnight. 
3. Transfer the frozen banana pieces into a small food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse to break the banana pieces up. 
4. As the banana pieces are starting to turn into a crumbed or smashed texture, switch to blending. Make sure to scrape the edges of the blender/food processor.
5. Blend to really smooth it out to a nice creamy texture. If you want to add add-ins, this is the time to do so. 
6. Freeze again to a normal ice cream texture or eat it soft as is!

Remember to take your aligners out before chowing down and brush those teeth before replacing the aligners! Taking care in these steps really helps to make sure you get the most out of your time wearing your aligners. 

xx Your Impressions Family

Sources:

• https://www.deltadentalins.com/oral_health/vitamins-and-minerals.html
• https://bakerbynature.com/my-favorite-morning-glory-muffins/
• https://www.kimscravings.com/skinny-greek-yogurt-chicken-salad/
• https://shewearsmanyhats.com/black-bean-cheese-quesadillas/
• https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-creamy-ice-cream-with-just-one-ingredient-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-93414

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