Blue Orthodontics: What can I eat when I have braces??? Check this out.....

We often get told by our patient's that eating with braces is sometimes a little tricky............

We wanted to highlight some foods that are packed with good nutrition and easy to eat with a "full mouth".

There are a ton of resources out there to help find orthodontic friendly foods but lets simplify it for you.

Don't worry, you'll be eating popcorn and snacking on potato chips again in no time! However, before you can start enjoying some of the treats you love, you will need to take special care to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.

Foods to avoid with braces:

Chewy foods — bagels, licorice
Crunchy foods — popcorn, chips, ice
Sticky foods — caramel candies, chewing gum
Hard foods — nuts, hard candies
Foods that require biting into — corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Foods you CAN eat with braces:

Dairy — soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
Breads — soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
Grains — pasta, soft cooked rice
Meats/poultry — soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
Seafood — tuna, salmon, crab cakes
Vegetables — mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
Fruits — applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
Treats — ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, soft cake

Don't get discouraged... it's only a short period of your life with some restrictions... many of our patient's say it was worth avoiding these foods to have that lasting gorgeous forever smile!!

Lastly, We want to showcase a few of our favorite recipes for you!!

We found this recipe on Deenbros.com- They are amazing!!!

This recipe is "Bobby's lighter tastes like lasagna soup"

404 less calories
28 g less fat

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Directions

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)
Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
Per Serving (1 cup) 225 Cal (27% from Fat, 42% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 23 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 108 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 826 mg Sodium; 53 mg Cholesterol
Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen
Servings: 8 cups
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

And for desert from Baker Bettie.......

Soft and Fluffy Blueberry Lemon Cookies

Save Print

Pillowy soft and fluffy blueberry and lemon cookies. So unique and delicious!

Author: Baker Bettie

Serves: About 4 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
3¼ cups cake flour
1½ cups blueberries

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat to incorporate.
In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
With the mixer on slow speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the batter. Scrape down the bowl as needed and mix until incorporated.
Fold in the blueberries gently as to now break them.
Allow the dough to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use a small scoop (about 1 tbsp size) and place rounded mounds of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil.
Bake for 11-14 minutes until the bottoms look slightly browned (the edges should not brown).