Did you know that more than four
million children throughout the U.S. and Canada have braces? At Gonzales
Orthodontics, Dr. Dante Gonzales and our staff know that kids can be picky and
meticulous eaters. If cooking for children without braces
is difficult, preparing meals for children with braces is especially daunting. As
a tip, your children can still eat those foods they would normally bite into by
simply cutting the food into small pieces and chewing with their back teeth.
This means your children can still enjoy their favorite foods!
“Comfort food takes on a whole new
meaning when cooking for children with braces,” says Pamela Waterman, author of The Braces Cookbook:
Recipes You and Your Orthodontist Will Love.
“Whether you have new brackets, elastics, headgear, or more, there are great
foods you can eat; it just takes some thought.”
These
five braces-friendly dinner recipes will be sure to keep your kids
smiling!
1. Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Pasta is
soft, so it’s easy for children with braces to eat. The warm, gooey cheese
melts in the mouth and doesn’t get stuck in the braces like hard or sticky
foods. Chances are good that even the pickiest eater has a soft spot for this
homespun classic.
2. The key to braces-friendly cooking is to replace hard,
crunchy foods with softer substitutes. In other words, burritos are a better
option than tacos, and lasagna is a better choice than pizza. At the same time,
if you have the culinary skills to whip up a pizza with a soft crust, you’re
going to win the Best Mom (or Dad) of the Year award.
3. Your child may not like fruits and vegetables. In fact, he
or she may even try to convince you that with new braces, fruits and vegetables
are off limits. Nice try, kids. While your child is wearing braces, prepare
meals with cooked vegetables instead of raw vegetables. A vegetable stir-fry is
a healthy and soft dinner choice for kids with braces.
4. Whether it’s beef or chicken, meat is a good source of
protein. However, meat, even when it’s carefully taken off the bone (kids with
braces should never eat meat from a bone), can easily get caught in braces.
Sloppy Joes are a good alternative. The beef is softened by the addition of the
sauce and less likely to get strung in the wires and brackets of the braces.
Serve the Sloppy Joes with a side of mashed potatoes.
5. Ask any child and he or she will tell you that the best part
of dinner is dessert. While hard candy, licorice, taffy, caramel, popcorn, and
all other chewy candies should be avoided, ice cream and cake are
braces-friendly treats that keep kids smiling.
On
a side note, stay healthy! Don’t fall into
the ice cream trap. Sure, it’s good for a treat, but it won’t give you the
nourishment you need to look and feel your best. Eating soft food doesn’t mean
eating unhealthy. Here are some suggestions for meals on a typical day when you
first get your braces on:
- Breakfast – pack in the protein with a fruit smoothie
and scrambled eggs
- Morning snack – two cubes of soft cheese, like Laughing
Cow and a banana
- Lunch – tomato soup and a “salad” of carrot and
cucumber ribbons (made with a veggie peeler)
- Supper – meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy
- Night-time snack – baked apples with maple syrup
And of course, remember to stay
hydrated and drink lots of water throughout the day, avoiding pop and sugary
drinks as your teeth are even more susceptible to cavities when you have
braces.
Need more braces-friendly food
ideas? Have questions on what not to
eat? Feel free to ask any member of our team or call our office at
925-828-2244.
Happy Eating!
