People often talk about all the things you can’t eat when you’ve got braces on your teeth. If you’ve got braces yourself–or you’re thinking about getting them–the list of things you can’t have might seem huge, but don’t get discouraged. There are tons of tasty treats that’ll have you wondering why you ever ate popcorn or caramel to begin with, and Dillehay Orthodontics has put together a list of 8 to make your summer delicious!
Creamy Pineapple Smoothie 
Grab a blender and set off on the road to refreshment with this cool treat. It’s perfect for a summer afternoon spent by the pool or watching movies. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about anything getting caught in your brackets and wires. Blend the following ingredients until smooth:
- 2 cups chopped pineapple
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch each of nutmeg and salt
- 2 cups ice
Three-Ingredient Popsicles
Popsicles more your speed? Try this recipe to cool off in the August heat. Simple and quick to make, these treats are sure to be a hit at any summer get-together. While there are tons of varieties, we like to blend the following ingredients before filling popsicle molds ¾ of the way full. After you’ve done that, just freeze the molds overnight, and you’re ready to go! If you’re eating them with braces, just be careful to avoid biting down too hard when they’re fully frozen.
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup chopped bananas
- 1 cup water
Sunny Peach Yogurt
If you’re a fan of yogurt, then you should try spicing things up with your own additions. Instead of buying pre-flavored yogurts, try buying plain greek yogurt and adding your favorite fruits yourself. By mixing fresh, you’ll get brighter flavors than you would otherwise. This is how we make our go-to:
- 3 teaspoons of honey
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 container of plain Greek yogurt
- 16 ounces of frozen peaches
Plain, Simple, and Delicious Fruits
While you should avoid foods like apples, carrots, and corn on the cob, don’t forget about all the fruits and vegetables you can eat. One summer favorite is watermelon. Because it’s so soft, there’s really nothing to worry about when you’re eating it with braces on. Just make sure to avoid the seeds, and you’re golden!
Kiwis, grapefruits, and nectarines are all great fruits to eat with braces if watermelon’s not up your alley. If it’s soft, you’re probably in the clear.
Raspberry Stuffed French Toast Rollups
Here’s another great braces-friendly dessert that looks complicated, but you’ll find it’s surprisingly simple to make. The distinct raspberry flavor in concert with the savory, sweet flavors of french toast makes for a dynamite combination that you’ll want to come back to again and again.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- sliced bread
- fresh raspberries
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup vanilla almond milk
Cooking directions:
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Cut the crusts off of bread. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of bread. Flatten the bread, but not too thin.
- Spread cream cheese mixture on bread.
- Place raspberries along the end of each piece of bread. Roll up.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, beat together eggs and vanilla almond milk.
- Roll each french toast roll-up into the egg mixture, one at a time, then place in the pan to cook.
- Roll french toast roll up around in the pan until all sides are cooked.
- Place in cinnamon sugar and roll until coated. Repeat with remaining french toast roll-ups.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
This recipe is for any braces-wearer who’s really missing apples. While they might not be refreshing or cool, these muffins are certainly delicious and great for a night in the cool of the air conditioning. The apple chunks in these muffins should be soft enough to eat with no problem, while still giving you that crisp taste. Just use the following recipe!
Muffins:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
- Topping:
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cooking directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Add oil, egg, and milk and stir until combined, then fold in apples. Pour batter evenly into 12 muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients, blending together with a fork. Sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of the muffin comes out clean.
Tropical BBQ Chicken Wraps
If you’re looking for something more savory to make this summer, we’ve got the perfect dinner recipe for you. These wraps are healthy, delicious, and–perhaps best of all–pretty easy to make. They don’t have anything that’ll be too offensive towards your braces, so you can eat to your heart’s content with no worries about your brackets.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅔ cup chopped pineapple, fresh or canned
- ½ of a red onion, chopped
- 1 romaine heart, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh, chopped cilantro
- large wheat or white flour tortillas
Cooking directions:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, flipping once until chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Remove pan from heat. Add barbecue sauce to the pan and toss chicken to coat.
- Put tortilla on a plate. Layer with a spoonful of barbecue chicken, cheese, pineapple, onion, chopped romaine, and cilantro. Roll, burrito style and secure with a toothpick. Serve immediately.
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites
If you’re feeling a little adventurous, try this simple finger-food recipe. They only take about ten minutes to prepare, and you only need a few ingredients. The refreshing, yet savory flavor is sure to be a hit amongst kids and adults alike!
Ingredients:
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into small rounds
- 1 pound of smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
- 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped
- horseradish to taste (we like about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, optional
- toothpicks or small skewers
Cooking directions:
- Peel cucumbers and slice them into ~1” pieces. Place in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.
- Mix cream cheese, dill, horseradish, and cream into a large bowl. Combine.
- Spread 1 teaspoon of cream cheese on top of each cucumber slice, then top each slice with salmon. Hold in place with a toothpick. Serve immediately if possible, refrigerate if necessary.
Hopefully, you can use these recipes to make your summer more delicious than ever! There are plenty of foods out there that you can eat with braces on, so don’t worry too much about those that you should avoid. Here at Dillehay Orthodontics, we want you to enjoy as many treats as possible while wearing braces, and we hope you’ll give these recipes a try!