Wearing braces limits some of the snacks you can eat. You want to avoid damaging the bands, brackets, and wires, since any damage can delay the progress of your treatment. After adjustments, your mouth may also feel sore, which will make eating more of a chore than a pleasure. However, you still have plenty of choices for fun and healthy foods that will not harm your braces. You can even enjoy a few crunchy treats as long as you choose them carefully.
Snacks You Can Eat with Braces
Sweet Treats
Puddings provide a sweet and safe snack while you are wearing braces. You can even select flavored puddings such as caramel to satisfy the urge for items you should not eat. They can be purchased already made or whipped up at home. You can even select low-sugar varieties that still taste good. Ice cream and yogurt are also choices; just avoid products with nuts.
Fruits & Vegetables
You still need to eat fruits and vegetables for healthy nutrients. You just need to avoid biting into hard fruits such as whole apples. The trick is to cut harder items into small pieces that you can chew easily with your back teeth. You can also avoid the problem with fruit cocktails packed in water. Cocktails have the nutritional benefits and flavour but contain softer pieces.
Canned fruits are also a great choice, but select fruits packed in water to avoid the heavy, sugary syrups. It’s a good idea to avoid excess sugar with braces, since sugar build-up around your braces can lead to plaque formation.
Single-serving packages are available to make your snack portable and convenient. Enjoy vegetables with a small amount of a healthy dip. Hummus or yogurt can be used for flavor without adding unnecessary fat or calories.
Crunchy or Salty Snacks
Not all crunchy foods are bad; you just need to limit the crunch. Walnuts are a softer nut that can normally be eaten safely. Small cheese crackers satisfy the need for crunchy and salty. You can also allow pieces to dissolve slightly in your mouth before chewing, to reduce any risk.
Soft granola bars are also an option. Check the granola ingredients to ensure there are no large nut pieces and brush your teeth afterwards. Otherwise, pieces can become stuck in your dental work.
Braces-Friendly Snack Recipe
Banana & Honey Smoothie
Smoothies are a healthy treat, and you can create these drinks with your favorite ingredients. You can use a variety of yogurt types for your smoothie: regular, low or non-fat, and Greek are all great choices. Here’s one of our favorite smoothie recipes:
- 6 ounces of your choice of yogurt
- 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey
- 1 ripe banana
- 6 ounces milk
Chop the banana into smaller pieces and put all your ingredients into a blender. Blend on low until everything is mixed and then blend on high for about 20 seconds to make your smoothie fluffy.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute just about any small or cut-up fruit for the banana. Try blackberries, raspberries, or peaches for variety. Try to avoid fruits with small seeds; strawberries can leave bits stuck in your braces. You can even make a smoothie with peanut butter and jelly!
Still Have Questions?
Please ask the Wonder West Orthodontics team if you have any concerns regarding the foods you can safely eat while wearing braces.