Brace Friendly Recipes

“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.”

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. Even the pickiest eater will have a soft spot for this ultimate comfort food.

Try replacing crunchy foods with a softer version. Instead of hard tacos try burritos likewise lasagna instead of pizza unless the pizza crust is soft.  Don't forget your vegies!  Prepare meals with cooked vegetable instead of raw. A vegetable stir fry is a great soft dinner for braces and it's healthy. Meat is a good source of protein but sometimes it is just too hard. A good alternative is sloppy joes. You can use ground beef, chicken or turkey and the sauce makes it even softer. Try adding a side of mash potatoes. Can you say, “yum”!  

Don't' forget dessert!  Put all that chewy stuff away and enjoy a bowl of ice cream or frozen yogurt for dessert.

If you have any Brace Friendly Recipes to share please do so on our Kemp Orthodontic Facebook page.