Who doesn’t want to eat what they want around the holidays? Unfortunately one of the major issues for poor dental health is sugary treats and desserts. That does not mean you have to cut them out completely, but there are some things to do to keep your teeth as healthy as possible while indulging in holiday snacks.

You can replace some of your holiday snacks with these low-sugar alternatives and may also use different ingredients that are better for overall dental health.

Healthy Holiday Snack Ideas: Cookies and Baked Goods
You can use a variety of different sugar alternatives to prevent issues. Some of these include nuts, dark chocolate, cranberries, and molasses.

• Gingerbread
  Sugar cookies are a favorite, but gingerbread is a traditional dessert that you can make with less than a cup of sugar. In some cases, you may only need a half cup of sugar. You can also get a lot of fiber from these cookies, especially if the recipe calls for pumpkin.
• Oatmeal Cookies
  Raisins and oats come together to create the perfect sweet treat without the abundance of sugar normally found in chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies. You can also substitute applesauce for most of the sugar in cookie recipes.
• Almond Cookies
  Almonds are a great snack to have around in general, but when you combine them with a Streusel cookie, you can make something truly scrumptious to snack on. Almond cookie recipes typically do not call for a large amount of sugar either.
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Homemade Kisses
  This is not the typical Hershey’s Kisses treat. You can create your own chocolate kisses and work in chopped hazelnuts to make it crunchier. With homemade recipes, you can use dark chocolate or other ingredients that have less sugar.
• Pumpkin Pie
  Everyone wants a slice of pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream during the holidays. This pie is actually really healthy in terms of sugar in comparison to dutch apple or cherry pies. You can substitute ice cream for sugar free whipped cream as well.
• Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
  Chocolate-covered fruit is an easy party snack to create and provides vitamin C with a little splash of sugar!

Reducing Sugar in Holiday Meals Too

While snacks are important around the holidays, sugar in glazes, sauces, gravies, sweet potato casseroles, and other dishes may also cause issues. Some of these dishes may call for caramelized brown sugar, marshmallows, or caramel. While the recipe may call for lots of different additions, you can create a healthier alternative by only using one sugar additive.

Sweet potato casseroles, for example, are naturally sweet and do not need as much sugar to taste great. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of B6, vitamin C, and vitamin D, iron, and magnesium.

Cranberry sauce is another favorite that you can enjoy without having to worry about sugar intake. There are multiple low-sugar recipes that can help you prepare the perfect sauce with low-sugar in mind. Cranberries have a number of benefits, especially because they can prevent cavities and periodontitis since these berries can kill bacteria in the mouth.

Moderation is key during the holidays, especially when it comes to sugar. You can pick snacks and alternatives that will help you maintain your dental health throughout the special season.