Summer Gazpacho

July 21st, 2020

It's summer time! The sun is out and the weather is heating up. What better way to cool down than with a cool refreshing recipe that will be fun to make for your kids? It's always hard to get children to eat more vegetables, but this veggie packed soup will allow you to sneak in all the nutrients that are great for your child!

Crunchy vegetables are the best for your child's teeth! As they chew, the hard texture will help prevent things from sticking to their teeth, making it less likely for your child to get cavities. Of course, this doesn't mean that they don't have to brush - we don't like having things stick to our teeth!

Also, if your child is a picky eater, this soup gives new sensations that will make it fun to eat! It's colorful from the different vegetables, it has crunchy and soft textures, and best of all - it's a soup that's cold! We hope this simple recipe brings some fun into your kitchen!

Summer Gazpacho

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 8 small fresh tomatoes)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (or 2 small fresh tomatoes)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (can substitute for a green bell pepper if you do not want any spiciness)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

  1. Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, oregano, and black pepper.
  2. Place cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, and balsamic vinegar in a blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into the tomato-cucumber mixture. Stir to combine.
  3. Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture back into the blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Return pureed mixture to the remaining tomato mixture. Stir to cobine.
  4. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  5. Season cold soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Top with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Visit our Instagram page for an short instructional video of this recipe!

What types of food are good for my child's teeth?

July 10th, 2020

In order to make sure the food your child eats is good for their teeth, make sure they have a balanced diet! Include fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, milk and dairy products, and meat, fish and eggs. In addition, you want to limit the servings of sugars and starches that your child eats to protect their teeth from cavities. We are never saying "no sugar" or "no candy" ever! The most important thing is everything in moderation - it has to be balanced!

Let's talk about the foods that are the BEST for your child's teeth:

  1. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables
    • Foods with fiber help keep your teeth and gums clean!
    • They also get your saliva flowing - increasing amount of saliva in your mouth helps to reduce the effect of any acid that can attack teeth and start cavities. Saliva also helps to restore the essential minerals to teeth.
  2. Cheese, milk, plain yogurt
    • The calcium in dairy products help to put minerals back in your teeth where they have been lost and helps to rebuild tooth enamel, the protective layer of your teeth!

Now what about the foods that can be bad for your child's teeth:

  1. Sticky candies and sweets
    • The bacteria that live in our mouths love sugar! They use this sugar to produce an acid that breaks down your teeth, causing cavities!
    • Sticky candies love those deep grooves in your teeth and they stick there really well if you don't brush! The longer the candy stays on the tooth, the higher chance of getting a cavity!
    • If you were to choose a sweet to eat, chocolate would be the best! It melts in your mouth and doesn't stay there like the sticky candies do!
  2. Starchy foods such as cookies and crackers
    • These soft foods become sticky after they are chewed and stick to your teeth just as how sticky sweets would!
  3. Carbonated soft drinks
    • Not only do these drinks contain a lot of sugar, it is also very acidic that can contribute to wearing away at your tooth enamel, the protective layer of your teeth!

Here's our recommendations (based on recommendations from the American Dental Association):

  1. Have your child eat sugary foods with meals, reducing the amount of time the sugar stays in your child's mouth! During meals, more saliva is produced, washing away pieces of food that can stay in the mouth.
  2. Limit between-meal snacks. As mentioned before, we don't want foods to be stuck in our teeth for a long time! If your child wants a snack, give them something nutritious, like fruit or veggies.
  3. Drink more water! Replace soda and juices with plain water.
  4. Always remember to help your child brush and floss 2x/day!

Remember - there's no right or wrong thing to eat, it's all about moderation. Make sure to eat balanced meals!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Muffins

July 2nd, 2020

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Muffins

                                        

Even as dentists, we all love a sweet treat every now and then. This is the perfect snack you can easily make with your child! The great news is - it only requires 4 ingredients and no special equipment! This healthier recipe is light and fluffy without using flour or refined sugar. What a great way to keep our kids healthy! This recipe can also be modified with any ingredients/toppings you would like. For our muffins, we chose to use peanut butter and chocolate chips, but you can choose sunflower butter and strawberries for a nut-free option! Even without the extra chocolate, the muffin is already naturally sweet from the ripe bananas, so no added sugar needed! Follow our instructions below to make some for yourself!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of Peanut Butter (for family members that cannot have peanut butter, you can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower butter or tahini for a nut-free option!
  • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed) - you can mash the bananas with a fork!
  • 2 whole eggs
  • (Optional Add-ins): 1/3 cup of chocolate chips (you can substitute with 1 cup of fresh berries or 1/2 cup of dried fruit)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, mashed banana, and eggs. Mix until smooth (you can mix by hand!)
  3. Fold in optional add-ins.
  4. Divide batter among the 12 muffin cups (you can use an ice cream scoop for even distribution)
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F until the muffins have risen, feel firm to light touch in the center of the muffin, baking for about 20-25 minutes.
  6. Allow muffins to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
  7. Serve muffins at room temperature once cooled. Store in air-tight container in fridge for best shelf-life (can be stored for up to one week). Can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an air-tight container.
  8. Enjoy!

Please go to our instagram page for a video of the recipe. Please continue to come back to our blog for more family-friendly recipes!

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