This time, we’re looking at braces-friendly snacks. In previous blog posts, we’ve looked at foods to eat with braces and foods to avoid.
Fortunately, there are lots of delicious options. So, you can enjoy snacks and desserts throughout treatment. By knowing what to choose, you can avoid possibly damaging your braces. Thus, you can keep your treatment on track and avoid emergency visits for repairs.
Braces-friendly Snacks
When it comes to choosing a snack, remember to avoid items that are hard, sticky, chewy, or crunchy. Such foods can get stuck and damage the wire and loosen brackets.
Instead, choose braces-friendly snacks that are soft without things like hard nuts or sticky toppings.
Snacks you can enjoy:
- Cooked, roasted, steamed veggies
- Soft veggies like avocado, squash, cucumber, mushrooms, tomatoes, peas
- Salads with soft veggies (no sticky dressings or crunchy toppings)
- Eggs (omelets, hard-boiled, scrambled)
- Oatmeal
- Pasta, mac and cheese
- Soft veggie burgers and patties, tofu
- Smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream (if not cold sensitive)
- Applesauce, yogurt, pudding
- Cookies, crackers, and cake
- Solid soft chocolate (no nuts)
- Peanut butter (smooth without nuts)
- Marshmallows
- Soft pretzels, cheese puffs
- Soft cheese, Cottage cheese
- Jell-O
- Mashed potatoes
- seafood, chop into small pieces
- Hummus and soft bean dips
- Most fruit (chop up harder items like apples or carrots into small pieces)
- Soft bread or muffins without a hard crust or nuts
- Soft tortillas and wraps
- Pancakes and waffles (without sticky syrup)
- Soft sandwiches
- Most soups and chili
- Sliced sandwich meats
- Meatballs
- Cooked soft rice (no sticky or crunchy ingredients)
- Chopped boneless chicken (avoid fried, wings, crunchy or sticky)
- Soft chicken nuggets
- Soft pizza without hard crust
- Chicken salad without nuts or hard veggies
As you can see, these braces-friendly snacks offer a wide range of possibilities. Many times, you can buy pre-packaged snacks like fruit cups and soft cookies to carry with you. Just remember to avoid any items that are hard, sticky, chewy, or crunchy.
Where to Find More Ideas
For more ideas, try checking out Pinterest, where you can find a million recipes and pictures of braces-friendly snacks, meals, and desserts.
And, we sometimes share ideas on our social media, Instagram and Facebook.
At Mill Creek, we love sharing soft dippin’ dots as a delicious reward for our patients. And, we support our local Girl Scouts, donating delicious cookies to our local first responders.
When you wear braces, you can still enjoy an occasional sweet treat. As always, it’s best to limit sugary foods and drinks. Here are some recommendations from the American Association of Orthodontists.
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Rinse and Brush After Snacks
Always, rinse or preferably brush after snacks, meals, or drinks other than water. Of course, brushing is especially important if you have a sugary snack or drink to help avoid tooth decay.
If, for any reason, you find that a bracket has come loose from your teeth, contact us. Right away, we’ll schedule an appointment to repair any damage to keep your treatment on track.
We hope this list of braces-friendly snacks has been helpful. Fortunately, when wearing braces, you can still enjoy many delicious snacks. Importantly, by sticking to the safer options, your treatment will go faster. Soon, you can enjoy any items you have taken a break from for a temporary while.
Remember: When you see your new smile, it will all be worth it! Then, you can reward yourself with any items you have missed.
Have any questions? Call us anytime at 434-977-9473. You may also contact us online here.
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