‘Tis the season for holiday parties, with plenty of food and alcohol. But while you’re chowing down at your next event you could be fueling bacteria in your mouth that causes bad breath.

“There are foods around holiday time that can give you bad breath and foods that will help to get rid of bad breath," said Dr. Harold Katz, a dentist and so-called bad breath guru.

The top five breath-killers?

#1 – Egg Nog: This holiday favourite contains a killer combo: Sugar, to feed nasty bacteria, dairy, to fuel bad breath bugs and alcohol to make your mouth dry and allow bacteria to flourish

#2 – Onions and garlic: No surprise here, this duo will cause quite a stink

#3 – Mashed potatoes: It’s the butter and sour cream that can stimulate bacteria in this dish

#4 – Cranberry sauce and candied yams: Sugar feeds all types of bacteria and these two are oozing in it

#5 – Macaroni and cheese: The protein in the dairy foods provide a fuel source for sulfur-producing bacteria

You’ll also want to avoid drinking too much coffee and smoking.

So how do you avoid holiday halitosis?

"Keep your mouth as moist as possible. Saliva is nature way of keeping your breath fresh and you want to keep it as moist as you can," advised Dr. Katz.

Choose foods like cucumbers, blueberries and apples and drink lots of water.

You’ll also want to keep your tongue clean as bacteria loves to nestle deep in the cavities of your mouth.

Don’t turn to mouthwashes that contain alcohol to curb your smelly breath. They will only dry your mouth out. And gum containing sugar can actually help that odour producing bacteria to grow.

You can’t smell your own breath, so if you’re wondering if you stink, lick the back of your hand and let it dry, then smell it. If your mouth tastes bad, your breath probably smells too. You can also take a look at your tongue. It should be pink and clear.

  • Other food that can cause halitosis year round:All alcoholic beverages: champagne, wine, hard liquor, liqueurs, beer
  • All types of sweets: candies, milk chocolate. Note that dark chocolate is definitely better!
  • Cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes
  • Dairy foods: cheese, milk, butter, ice cream – especially for people who are lactose intolerant
  • Marshmallows
  • Protein rich meat
  • Sugar

Foods to stimulate sweet-smelling breath all year round:

  • Celery, carrots, cucumber
  • Apples, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries
  • Tea, especially green tea