Good oral health comes from a routine that is simple and maintainable, and it starts with what we eat. But when we all lead busy lives, how can we eat convenient food that’s good for our teeth? Although processed foods can be quick and easy, they often come at a price to our general and dental health. While some convenience foods may be advertised as ‘healthy’, or ‘nutritious’, they are usually very high in sugars, salts, additives or fats. We wanted to clear up the confusion around what we should consume for good dental, and general health, and have asked our team at Medland Dental to share their personal tips for healthy snacking on the go.
Shannon (Dental Hygienist and Mother of Two):
On the go and in between taking care of her patients Shannon snacks on raw nuts, banana, and coconut yoghurt. Her daughters like to eat a piece of fruit and air popped plain popcorn.
Dr Sarah Kam (Principal Dentist and Mother of Fur Baby, Winston the Beagle):
Dr Kam likes to pre-cut/pre-portion out appropriate amounts of her snacks (e.g. nuts, dates, fruit, celery/carrot sticks) in little containers or zip lock bags, so they are readily available on the go.
Dr Kam likes to put her healthy food at the front of the fridge or pantry and keep the occasional not so healthy food out of reach (which Dr Kam says, “It’s easy when you are as short as me!”)
Rachael (Practice Manager and Mother of Two):
Kelly (Back Office Manager and Mother of Two):
Ashleigh (Oral Health Therapist):
Ashleigh likes to snack on pre-cut carrot sticks and homemade Hummus or Tzatziki. Ashleigh also recommends capsicum, celery and cucumber sticks as snacks too and it is also a great way to increase your vegetable intake. Ashleigh also carries a bottle of water with her everywhere she goes, to help ensure she stays hydrated throughout the day with plain tap water.
Brad (Oral Health Therapist):
Brad likes to pre-make his healthy lunch the night before work to help reduce temptations of buying not-so healthy lunches. This usually includes a ham or chicken salad wrap, finished off with a nice crunchy apple.
Incorporating healthy habits into your routine takes practice and patience. But good oral health has a knock-on effect on your overall wellbeing, and it will help prevent any costly emergency meetings with your dentist.
To ensure that your busy schedule doesn’t get in the way of taking care of your oral health and Active Maintenance plan, Medland Dental offer convenient opening times to help you find an appointment that suits your lifestyle.
