Thanksgiving is a time to indulge in delicious foods, but it’s important to be mindful of their impact on your oral health. While enjoying your dinner, remember that moderation is key. Foods like pie, loaded sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce are high in sugar and can contribute to tooth decay. Instead, we recommend that you fill your plate with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans, foods that you love and that are less likely to harm your teeth in moderation.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water during your Thanksgiving meal. It will help with washing away food particles and neutralizing acids in the mouth. This is just one part of taking care of your oral health during the holidays. Brushing your teeth and flossing frequently is still very important.
If you are planning on drinking alcoholic drinks, remember these must be enjoyed in moderation as well. They increase acidity and create an environment conducive to decay.
Balancing the enjoyment of eating your favorite foods by protecting your teeth can be achievable by being aware of your sugar intake. Indulging is okay from time to time, but don’t forget to take the steps to take care of your oral health as well. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.
Easy Cranberry Sauce:
Ingredients
- Bag of cranberries, rinsed*
- 3/4 cup (150g) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice (about 1/2 large orange)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar*
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- You need fresh orange juice and orange zest. I recommend zesting the orange first, setting the zest aside, then cutting the orange for the juice. (Harder to zest a cut orange!) You need about half of a large orange for 1/4 cup of juice. Juice the other half of the orange if you need more to yield 1/4 cup.
- After rinsing the cranberries, set 1/2 cup of cranberries aside. You will stir these in at the end for extra texture.
- Combine the remaining cranberries, water, orange juice, and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the mixture comes to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to low-medium. While stirring occasionally, continue to cook until liquid has reduced and cranberries have burst and thickened, about 15 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup reserved cranberries, orange zest, and vanilla extract. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Sauce is excellent served warm or at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.