There are tonnes of unhealthy and healthy snacks to eat. Unhealthy snacking will lead to oral problems as well as weight gain.
Whereas healthy snacking can lead to weight loss and improve oral health.
While these are the smaller portions you consume between meals, they can have their own benefits and harms.
For instance, eating a sugary snack is enough to damage your teeth.
That said, increasing your meals through snacking can help to manage hunger and improve blood sugar regulation.
This article discusses what snacks are good for adults and which ones you should avoid.
Keep reading below to know more!
How Does Snacking Affect Oral Health?
Whenever you are hungry between meals, you may resort to eating a sugary treat in hopes that it curbs hunger.
However, sugars, acids and starchy snacks can cause damage to your teeth.
They will lead to the accumulation of plaque and bacteria.
Moreover, the acids will start eroding the enamel.
Hence, the enamel will become weaker and this gives way to bacteria to penetrate it further leading to decay and cavities.
Some of these sugary treats are sticky.
The longer they stay on your teeth, the greater the bacteria have the chance to feed on it and harm your enamel.
Hence, you should stay away from snacks that are sugary, acidic, sticky or starchy.
Rather go for nutritious and healthy foods that will remineralize the enamel and keep the oral ecology in balance.
One example of a healthy snack is cheese.
Cheese not only suffices hunger, but it can also be good for your teeth. Similarly, other dairy products such as milk and yogurt are also good for oral health.
Eating healthy snacks will spare you a trip to the dentist and getting procedures such as dental fillings or root canals.
Furthermore, they can provide you with the energy to go on with the day.
Let’s find out more about them below!
Healthy Snacks to Eat On the Go
Dark Chocolate and Almonds
Thinking about what is chocolate doing in an article about oral health and healthy snacks?
Well, among the sweeter snacks, chocolate is actually better as it does not stick on your teeth for longer, unlike candy. Hence, it can be washed away.
Plus, if there are any slightly healthier chocolates among all, it is probably dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and little sugar. Paired with almonds that have numerous healthy fats, these make for a portable and heart-healthy snack.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a rich source of protein. They are also filling so they make for good weight-loss food. Its yolk also contains nutrients like choline and Vitamin D.
Moreover, eating around 3 to 4 eggs per week can benefit arterial stiffness which happens to be a risk factor for heart disease.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal can serve as breakfast but also as a light snack between meals.
These nutritious whole grains are filling. Plus, it also contains a greater amount of fiber and protein than other cereals.
Plus if you really want to eat something, you can top the oatmeal with fruits, cocoa powder, chocolate chips or vegetables.
Spicy Avocado
Avocados contain a higher fiber and fat content.
Hence, they are both filling and nutritious.
If you are feeling extremely hungry, simply eat a medium avocado by sprinkling some cayenne pepper and salt.
There you have a filling snack below 120 calories.
Mixed Nuts
While these may stick to your teeth, mixed nuts are usually healthy to eat.
They have a balance of protein, fiber and fat. Eating a variety of nuts provides you with collective nutrients.
They may be high in calories and fats, but they still aid in weight loss.
Choose from walnuts, hazelnut, almonds, cashews, pistachio, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and many others.
Fruits and Vegetables with Dips
Apple and Peanut butter
Cut an apple into slices and pair it up with peanut butter as a dip.
Apples and peanut butter make a healthy combo.
Apples are rich in fiber. Moreover, their crunchy texture allows for producing more saliva in the mouth.
Hence, that washes away the food particles and keeps the teeth clean.
Peanut butter, on the other hand, may be sticky but peanuts contain healthy fats fiber and plant-based protein.
As far as the sugar content goes, you can actively avoid that and choose a peanut butter that contains salt instead.
So there you have a crisp, creamy and filling snack in the middle of the day without any hassle.
Hummus and Cucumber
Like apples, cucumber slices are also crunchy making them a good snack for your teeth.
Hummus is a dip that is made of chickpeas, tahini, garlic and olive oil.
Hence, it contains several nutrients such as proteins, healthy fats and fiber.
Slicing half a cucumber and dipping it in 2 tablespoons of hummus is enough to fill you up under 100 calories.
Cheese in the form of Dip
- Celery sticks and cream cheese
The crunchy texture of celery makes it a good vegetable for your teeth.
Combine the crunchy texture with the creaminess of the cheese and there you have a fiber-filled snack.
Dip 5 celery sticks in one ounce of cream cheese for a light snack.
You can also alter that with peanut butter or almond butter.
Mozzarella cheese and tomatoes can make a good combo for a salad.
Add some balsamic vinegar and olive oil to have a salad that can substitute as a snack.
Plus it contains healthy fats, fiber and protein content. So that you have a delicious as well as a healthy snack.
Using Cheese as Healthy Snacks
Olive and Feta Cheese
Olives contain monosaturated fats. These are heart-healthy fats. Moreover, it also contains antioxidants.
Add some cheese to it to get your dose of protein and healthy fats.
If you are also looking for some complex carbs, enjoy the two on whole-wheat bread.
Blue Cheese Dressing and Baby Carrots
Pairing carrots with a creamy sauce or cheese dressing helps to increase the absorption of fat-soluble micronutrients.
These micronutrients like carotenoids absorb easily due to the dips because they contain a high-fat content.
You can have 100 grams of carrots with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese so that you can benefit from all the nutrients present in the carrots.
Cheese with Fruit
A good way to par up fiber with healthy fats and protein is to eat cheese with fruit.
Cottage cheese for instance has a high protein content. Combing that with fruits such as watermelon, pineapple and papaya will provide the fiber and watery content to your body.
You can also choose to go for a cheese string and pair it up with fruit.
You can also combine pear with ricotta cheese. Yet another way to get both protein and fiber in your light snack.
Cheese has high protein and calcium content though it differs across all forms of cheeses.
You can also combine cheese with whole-grain crackers to get fiber content similar to that of fruits.
Cheese is a great snack not only for its high protein and calcium content but also because it is good for your oral health.
Munch on it more often when you are feeling hungry between meals instead of going for an unhealthy snack.
Try these several combinations with cheese that you can eat without any preparation, fill up your stomach and enjoy a light snack.
Other Healthy Snacks to Munch On
Similar to nuts and almonds, roasted chickpeas are a crunch snack to curb your hunger in the middle of the day.
This delightful snack contains a high amount of plant-based proteins and fiber.
Instead of buying trail mix in packets from the grocery store, you can combine your favorite nuts in one place.
Try mixing dried fruits with nuts such as dried apples with almonds, dried mangoes with cashew nuts and dried cherries with peanuts.
Hence, you get healthy fats, protein and fiber.
This is a good way to fill you up on the go. However, limit the portion size as these dried fruits are high in calories and also sugar.
Canned fish such as salmon and tuna may not be considered a snack. However, it is a light meal that does not require refrigeration either.
These fish such as sardines and salmon are full of omega 3 fatty acid content.
These fatty acids help to reduce the risk of inflammation and heart disease.
You can pair it up with crackers or whole-wheat toast.
This is a high in protein and portable snack.
However, some of the commercial beef jerky also contains higher sodium and sugar content.
Before buying, check for the label and buy jerky with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving.
That said, you will still get 7 grams of protein content per ounce.
Besides these, there are other healthy snacks to eat, such as:
- Turkey roll-ups
- Chia pudding
- Bell pepper with guacamole
- Kale chips
- Greek yogurt with berries
Eating these healthy snacks instead of starchy and sugary treats will be good for your physical and oral health.
Next time, you are hungry between meals, go for these.
