It can be a struggle to get your child to eat healthy food that is good for their oral health for their school lunches. And if they have braces, there are many foods they aren't able to eat. Here, our Smile Town orthodontists explain which foods to avoid and which are safe and healthy inclusions into you child's school lunch.
There are almost countless options when it comes to creating your child's lunch to take with them to school. And there are just as many things to consider.
You want to make sure they are getting a nutritious meal that will get them through the day, isn't too high in sugar content, is good for their oral health and appeals to their tastes. And now they have braces, and that means that certain foods are off the table.
Worry not, though, there are still plenty of foods your child can eat, even if there are some you will have to avoid during the course of their treatment.
Foods to Avoid in Your Child's School Lunch
While your child is still able to enjoy most of their favourite foods during their braces orthodontic treatment, there are a few types of food that they should avoid to preserve their oral health and the integrity of the wires and brackets of their braces.
Any foods that are sticky, hard, chewy, or require you biting into them should all be avoided. These foods can either get stuck in the nooks and cranny's of your kid's braces where it is difficult to clean, or can damage the braces, meaning your child will have to make many more visits to their orthodontist than they would otherwise.
So, in short, avoid to following foods to make sure your kid's treatment is effective and stays on track:
- chewing gum
- hard candy
- chips
- corn on the cob (or any food your child has to bite into like apples)
- bagels
- caramels or other chewy candy
- nuts
- popcorn
Foods to Pack Your Child With Braces For Lunch
The following are foods that are excellent choices for your child's school lunch.
Fresh Fruit
While who apples, pears or other fruits can't be eaten whole now that your child is wearing braces, there are still many excellent options for fresh fruit to include in your kid's lunch. Bananas and berries are soft enough that they are easy to eat with braces. And if you cut them up beforehand, nearly every fresh fruit can still be included.
If you slice up apples, pears, mangos, pineapples and peaches, any of them are a safe bet for adding a healthy sweet treat to your child's lunch.
Soup
The best foods for children with braces are those which require little or no chewing. This makes soup a no-brainer for braces-friendly lunches!
Yogurt
Yogurt is an excellent snack for kids with braces. It's soft, easy to digest, and it's cold or cool.
Your kid's teeth will be a bit sensitive as the braces work their magic, and cool foods will likely be a bit gentler on their teeth than hot ones.
Sandwiches
While you want to avoid chewy breads or bagels, sandwiches are an excellent and totally brace-safe lunch option. They're so versatile, from peanut butter and jelly to tuna salad, turkey, and more, you can tailor sandwiches to your kid's tastes.
And because bread is soft and generally the contents of a sandwich are easy to chew, they pose minimal risk to your child' braces.