As summer approaches - so too is our desire for yummy tooth friendly snacks! Check out some of our favorite recipes below.

Coconut Water Fruit Popsicles

How about an icy cool treat? Popsicles are a delicious sweet favorite. Unfortunately, most of the varieties found in grocery stores are packed with added sugar.

Here at Tooth Fairy HQ, we keep our smiles healthy by enjoying homemade popsicles that have significantly less sugar than store bought varieties.

Unflavored coconut water is rich in potassium, which makes it an excellent electrolyte beverage and the best part is, it contains less sugar than a sports drink.

Equipment Needed:

Blender

Popsicle Molds (if your mold doesn’t come with built in plastic popsicle sticks, you can always use good old fashioned wooden popsicle sticks).

Ingredients:

¾ cup coconut water

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 cup of fresh fruit (At Tooth Fairy HQ we love strawberries and blueberries, but feel free to use whatever fruit you like best)

Instructions

1. Combine fruit, coconut water, and lime juice in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds. Be sure to leave about ¼ of an inch of space at the top. The mixture will expand when it freezes.
4. If using wooden popsicle sticks, place the molds in the freezer for 15 minutes before inserting the wooden sticks. This will give the fruit mixture a little time to freeze/solidify before inserting the popsicle sticks.
5. Let popsicles freeze until solid. This usually takes about 4-6 hours.
6. Once frozen solid, remove popsicles from the freezer. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before attempting to pop them out of their molds.

Bell Pepper Nachos

Who doesn’t love nachos? Do your smile a favor and sub out those sharp edged tortilla chips for bell pepper chips. Here at Tooth Fairy HQ we love snacking on Bell Pepper Nachos.

The calcium from the cheese and sour cream will help rebuild tooth enamel. The vitamin C found in the salsa and tomatoes will help keep your gums healthy and the arginine found in black beans can also help fight tooth decay. All in all, bell pepper nachos are a smile friendly, Tooth Fairy approved snack!

Ingredients

2 Bell Peppers sliced lengthwise into 1 inch slices (seeds removed)

Cilantro

Tomatoes

Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Black Beans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven (we recommend broiling).
2. Rinse and slice bell peppers so that they form 1-2” wide slices. Be sure to remove all seeds.
3. Set bell pepper slices flat on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Cover bell peppers with cheese, beans and tomatoes.
5. Broil the bell peppers + toppings for 3-4 minutes (or until cheese is melted).
6. Remove baking sheet from oven.
7. Add additional toppings as desired; sour cream, cilantro and salsa.
8. Serve warm!