Ways to reduce your sugar intake this Christmas

It’s almost Christmas time again! That means a chance to de-stress from work, spend time with the family and enjoy all that Christmas has to offer.

For most people, food is a big part of Christmas: mince pies, turkey, chocolates and sweets are all staples around Christmas time.

Unfortunately, though, a lot of the food associated with Christmas is very high in sugar. This means that Christmas foods can be bad for your teeth because sugar can cause cavities and tooth decay.

If you’re concerned about sugar this Christmas, then don’t worry. In this post, we’ll list ways to reduce the amount of sugar associated with Christmas. By attacking sugar head-on, you’ll be making the holidays kinder on your family’s teeth.

Buy sugar-free alternatives to Christmas food

One way to reduce your sugar intake this Christmas is to buy sugar-free foods. Many supermarkets offer sugar-free alternatives to traditional Christmas foods, such as sugar-free mince pies and Christmas pudding. These sugar-free versions often taste just as good as the standard versions. By going for sugar-free options this Christmas, you’ll be reducing the risk of tooth decay and cavities. What’s more, you’ll be more likely to make it onto Santa’s nice list.

Beware of Advent calendars

We would make a bet that most children in the UK have an advent calendar. These calendars are fun because they help the kids to count down the days to Christmas. What’s not so good however is the piece of chocolate that comes behind each door. Chocolate in advent calendars is often high in sugar, and it all adds up when the kids are eating it every day. We don’t want to take the fun out of Christmas, but we do want people to think about the impact of sugar on their teeth. Why not go for an advent calendar that has a small toy or just a picture behind each door instead?

Don’t buy selection boxes

Selection boxes of chocolates are another Christmas staple. Selection boxes fill up aisles in supermarkets in the run-up to Christmas, and some children receive four, five or even six selection boxes on Christmas Day. It’s easy to see that all this sugar can’t be good for our teeth. This year, why not eschew selection boxes and go for healthier alternatives instead? Better things to put in a stocking include fruit, nuts, cheese and olives.

Be careful what you drink

It’s not just sugar in food you have to watch out for this Christmas. There’s also sugar in drinks too. Many traditional Christmas drinks are high in sugar, such as eggnog, punch and hot chocolate. Big companies like Starbucks and Costa are also guilty of filling their Christmas drinks with sugar. A Starbucks Grande Honey and Almond Hot Chocolate  contains a whopping 59 g of sugar for example, which is over twice the daily recommended limit. If you want to be kind to your teeth this Christmas, stick with water instead.

Conclusion

Sugar is all-pervasive at Christmas, and it’s not good for our teeth. But by replacing sugary foods with healthier ones, you can have a Christmas that won’t ruin your smile.

From all of us here, Merry Christmas!

Ways to reduce your sugar intake this Christmas