Can You Eat Mac and Cheese With Braces? (Cook Soft)
Can you eat mac and cheese with braces? Yes, as long as the mac and cheese is cooked and served soft, you can eat it with braces. When you have braces, you should avoid hard, crunchy, and sticky foods, since they can damage the braces or lead to tooth decay. It should be safe to eat mac and cheese with braces since it is a soft and creamy dish. To avoid putting too much pressure on your braces, cut your food into small pieces and chew carefully.
We searched the web for more information on forums about eating mac and cheese with braces.
Here is a more extensive extended table of foods that you can eat with braces, including examples of each type of food and a description of how to prepare them:
| Soft foods | Examples | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Pudding | Chocolate pudding, tapioca pudding | Mix pudding mix with milk according to package instructions and refrigerate until set. |
| Jell-O | Any flavor of Jell-O | Mix Jell-O powder with boiling water and refrigerate until set. |
| Yogurt | Plain yogurt, fruit-flavored yogurt | Open container and spoon out desired amount. |
| Smoothies | Banana smoothie, berry smoothie | Blend together desired fruits, milk or yogurt, and ice until smooth. |
| Soft cooked meat | Chicken breast, fish fillets | Cook meat in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and tender. |
| Tofu | Silken tofu, firm tofu | Cut tofu into small cubes and cook in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. |
| Mashed potatoes | Plain mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes | Peel and chop potatoes, boil in salted water until tender, then mash with butter and milk. |
| Moderate foods | Examples | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked vegetables | Cooked carrots, cooked green beans | Peel and chop vegetables, steam or boil until tender. |
| Soft fruits | Ripe bananas, ripe peaches | Peel and slice fruits, or blend into a smoothie. |
| Soft cheeses | Cream cheese, feta cheese | Slice or spread cheese on crackers or bread. |
| Soft cooked grains | Cooked rice, cooked quinoa | Cook grains according to package instructions, or use leftover cooked grains from a previous meal. |
| Flaked fish | Salmon, tilapia | Cook fish in a skillet over medium heat until flaky and fully cooked. |
| Pasta | Cooked spaghetti, cooked macaroni | Cook pasta according to package instructions, then toss with sauce or butter. |
| Food type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Hard foods | Nuts, hard candies, ice, raw carrots, corn on the cob |
| Sticky foods | Gum, caramels, gummies, taffy, toffee |
| Crunchy foods | Popcorn, chips, pretzels, crackers, raw apples and pears |
| Chewy foods | Bagels, crusty bread, pizza crust, beef jerky |
| Sugary foods and drinks | Soda, candy, cake, cookies, fruit juice, sports drinks |
Food “hardness” and food “stickiness” should be considered when determining what is okay to eat while wearing braces.
To prevent bending or breaking the wires in your mouth, avoid chewing anything that has hard chunks. Damage can be caused to wires by popcorn kernels, nuts, seeds, hard candy, apples, crunchy vegetables etc.
Getting stuck between the wires and brackets of your teeth can be a problem with sticky items that do not “clear” the mouth quickly. The likes of gum, caramel, taffy. Avoid eating foods that stick between your teeth, even if you don’t have braces.
After eating, excellent oral hygiene is essential with braces. After eating, swish vigorously with lots of clean water if you’re at school/work during the day
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush your teeth thoroughly, but gently. Use a water pick to reach those hard-to-reach places, and use interdental brushes/picks to get between your teeth.
Mac and Cheese Recipe
Here is a simple recipe for mac and cheese:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package instructions.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste.
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the mixture thickens.
- Add the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and stir until they are melted and well-combined.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Drain the cooked macaroni and transfer it to a large baking dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to combine.
- Bake the mac and cheese in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until it is bubbly and golden brown.
- Serve the mac and cheese hot, with extra cheese on top if desired.
You can also experiment with different types of cheese, such as Gouda, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack, to create your own unique flavor. Enjoy!
Conclusion
So, can you eat mac and cheese with braces? Mac and cheese can be eaten with braces. The combination of macaroni and cheese, cheesy pasta bake, or baked mac is good no matter what you call it. The smaller pasta shapes like elbow macaroni are especially good to eat with braces because they are soft.
You should not experience any problems eating macaroni and cheese if you have braces on. Depending on how you cook it, it’s not the healthiest meal, but it’s not the worst either. Our recommendation would be to make your own version with real cheese and some vegetables. The occasional easy treat won’t kill you, so go ahead!
You should consult with your dentist first to find out what kind of guide to follow based on your treatment condition before consuming your favorite foods.
For more foods, read our comprehensive post of what you can eat with braces.
Can You Eat Mac and Cheese With Braces?
Perry heads up a dynamic marketing team that has help the leading orthodontic practices in the USA 10X their business for over a decade. He’s a tea connoisseur, avid reader, traveling and grower of exotic fruits in his permaculture food forest.
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