Dental Tips | 29 November, 2021

Holiday Food You Should and Shouldn't Eat With Braces

It's an exciting time of year, Christmas is nearly here and the celebrations have started. It's normal for us to enjoy some holiday treats this time of year but if you or your child have braces it pays to be careful about what you eat. Indulging in some holiday snacks could damage the brackets and wires on your braces, resulting in additional repairs and delayed treatment.

Don't worry though, having braces doesn't mean you need to miss out on the festivities or holiday treats. There's plenty of fun Christmas snack options you can try this year if you have braces.

Treats to Avoid With Braces

We recommend that anyone with braces avoid hard, chewy, sticky, and crunchy treats, such as:

  • Caramel
  • Liquorice
  • Hard lollies
  • Gum
  • Popcorn
  • Jelly beans
  • Hard pretzels

Treats You Can Eat With Braces

Try these fun and festive treat ideas this year that are safe for braces.

Strawberry Santas

To make a sweet Santa treat all you need is strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles.

  • Slice off the large stem side of a strawberry so it can stand upright on a plate.
  • Cut off the top quarter of the strawberry (this will be Santa's hat.)
  • Put a dollop of whipped cream on the large strawberry to make his face.
  • Add two chocolate sprinkles for the eyes. The round confetti-style sprinkles work best.
  • Place the strawberry hat onto the whipped cream and dab some cream on the very top of the strawberry to give his hat the iconic white ball at the end.

Reindeer Cheese

Have some fun making reindeers using soft cheese triangles, a yellow pepper, some olives, and cherry tomatoes.

  • Place a soft cheese triangle on a plate. The narrow point will make the reindeer nose.
  • Cut strips of yellow pepper and push them into the wide head of the soft cheese triangle.
  • Dice an olive and use two small pieces to make the reindeer's eyes
  • Cut a cherry tomato in half and use it to make Rudolph's nose.

Marshmallow Snowmen

All you need to build a tasty snowman is marshmallows, some white chocolate for coating, chocolate chips, a carrot, and a wooden skewer.

  • Melt the white chocolate in the microwave.
  • Push your skewer through three marshmallows to make up the body of your snowman.
  • Dip the marshmallows in the white chocolate.
  • Before the white chocolate sets, press chocolate chips into the top marshmallow to make the snowman's eyes.
  • Cut off a tiny piece of carrot for his nose – but be sure the carrot isn't too big that it could damage a braces bracket.

Christmas Tree Brownies

Make delicious brownies that look like Christmas trees. All you need is your favorite brownie recipe, green icing, and coloured sprinkles.

  • Make your favorite brownies and cut them into triangles.
  • Spread green icing on them so they look like trees.
  • Use coloured sprinkles for ornaments.

Strawberry Banana Candy Cane

Candy canes made out of fruit are a great option if you have braces.

  • Make 1/2 inch slices of banana.
  • Make 1/2 slices of strawberries.
  • Place them on a plate, alternating between fruits, and make them into a cane shape.

Source: Colgate