When you hear “healthy cooking,” what do you think about?

Diets and flavorless food are common words that come to mind. But healthy eating should be a goal for everyone. And summertime is no different than the rest of the year. In fact, since fresh produce is more accessible, eating healthy during summer should be even easier.

There are some great, healthy foods that help support strong, healthy teeth too. Consider these for your summer shopping lists:

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• Calcium-rich foods are a great way to maintain strong and healthy teeth.
• Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and milk are wonderful sources of calcium.
• Foods high in fiber contribute to a healthy mouth by keeping your saliva flowing. Saliva is the natural lubricant of the mouth, so a decrease can lead to dry mouth that is both uncomfortable and damaging.
• Whole grain foods are also important because they are rich in B vitamins and iron. Whole grains help to keep bones, teeth, and gums healthy. Plus, foods containing whole grains are often high in fiber.

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Got all your healthy food, but need ideas on how to serve it?

Recipes that call for fruits, vegetables, and dairy products make it easy to add these oral health helpers into your everyday diet. Check out the recipe below. It’s perfect for a warm, summer afternoon cookout.

Yogurt Fruit Salad
• 1 (16 ounce) package fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 large peach, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 plums, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved
• 1 cup honeydew melon balls or cubes
• 1 cup cantaloupe balls or cubes
• 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
• 1 cup grapes
• 2 (16 ounce) containers low-fat vanilla yogurt

In a large salad bowl, lightly mix together the strawberries, peach, plums, kiwi fruit, cherries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes until the fruit is well mixed. Serve in bowls with yogurt spooned over the top.

Enjoy!