Can You Eat Oatmeal With Braces? (Plus Other Foods)
Wondering if you can eat oatmeal with braces? Here’s everything you need to know. I’ll give you other foods you can eat as well!
Guess what?! You’re never going to believe this. I had braces not once, but twice! The things we’ll do for a beautiful smile and straight teeth, am I right?!
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When I was in fourth grade, I got braces for the first time. I had them for about two years.
Then, when I was 22, I got new braces AGAIN! I had a small gap between two of my teeth. This time I only had to wear them for about six months, so that was great news!
After I got my braces off, I had clear retainers that you wear just at night. Unfortunately, those didn’t work for me.
I just have permanent retainers on my top and bottom teeth now. Anyways, I hope you don’t have to get braces twice like I did!
Now, let me tell you all about eating oatmeal with braces. Plus, I’ll give you a list of foods to eat and other foods to avoid.
Can You Eat Oatmeal With Braces?
Yes, you can absolutely eat oatmeal with braces! It’s actually a perfect thing to eat.
It’s healthy, affordable, and easy to make. I call that the triple threat! I tell my husband all the time. Different foods are usually two of the three.
It’s hard to find foods to eat that are the triple threat, but oatmeal is one. Plus, the heat of the warm oatmeal will feel really good on freshly tightened braces!
How To Eat Oatmeal
It’s best if you eat oatmeal that’s been cooked. The soft oatmeal will not harm your braces at all!
You’ll want to avoid raw oats as well as oatmeal cookies. Both can be hard to chew. They can get stuck or damage your braces.
Oatmeal Recipe
Here’s a recipe for the best oatmeal! It’s so easy to make. I know you’re going to love it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
- Toppings (fresh fruit, peanut butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, etc)
Directions
- Add the oats, water, milk, cinnamon, and salt to a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Place the oatmeal in either one or two bowls.
- Drizzle honey on top and add your toppings.
- Enjoy!
Some of my friends add a scoop of protein powder to their oatmeal. It adds flavor and give them more protein. I’ve never tried that, but it sounds amazing!
Foods To Eat With Braces
Here is a list of some of the best foods to eat with braces! I hope some of your favorite foods are on this list. I’ll keep thinking about foods I can add to make it even longer!
- Soft tortillas
- Peanut butter
- Protein shakes
- Smoothies
- Soft fruits
- Leafy greens
- Applesauce
- Salsa
- Pasta
- White bread
- Greek yogurt
- Risotto
- Rice cereal
- Plain yogurt
- Fish
- Berries
- Ground meat
- Guacamole
- Pudding
- Mashed potatoes
- Chicken
- Oatmeal
- Grits
- Bananas
- Muffins
- Cooked veggies
- Jello
- Meat
- Sour cream
- Rice
- Popsicles
- Rice cereal
- Sweet potatoes
- Ice cream
- Soft cheeses
- Soft bread
- Eggs
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Hamburgers
- Tomato soup
- Chicken noodle soup
- Hot dogs
- Cookies
- Brownies
- Cinnamon rolls
- Ice cream
As you can see, there’s tons of good food you can eat while wearing braces. You can pretty much eat anything that has a soft texture.
Foods To Avoid With Braces
Here is a list of foods you’ll want to avoid while wearing braces!
- Sticky foods
- Crunchy foods
- Hard chips
- Hard crust
- Popcorn
- Chewy candy bars
- Hard fruits
- Hard candies
- Nuts
- Gummy candy
- Crunchy cereals
- Beef jerky
- Hard cereals
- Crunchy toppings
- Pretzels
- Jelly beans
- Hard cookies
- Caramel
- Hard brownies
- Granola
- Licorice
- Cinnamon bears
- Taffy
- Raw veggies
- Sugary foods
- Tortilla chips
So, pretty much all sticky and hard foods. I’ve actually had pretzels and chips move my braces before!
Eating With Braces Tips
Here are some tips to help you eat with as little pain as possible!
- Cut your food into small pieces. Smaller pieces will help you not have to bite and chew as much as you would need to with big pieces of food.
- Drink liquids. Then you don’t have to chew anything!
- Smoothies are amazing for braces! If you don’t want to eat any hard fruits, blend them up with milk or water. They taste amazing and they won’t hurt your teeth!
- Cold foods can be the perfect thing to eat! They can feel really good when your braces just put on or tightened. Popsicles and ice cream can really help!
- Chew with your back teeth. This is a great way to not break the front brackets on your teeth.
FAQs
What can I eat for breakfast with braces?
While wearing braces, you can eat oatmeal, breakfast cookies, soft fruit, smoothies, soft cereal, hot cereal, waffles, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and eggs for breakfast.
What not to eat the first week of braces?
It’s best not to eat sticky foods, crunchy foods, chips, hard crusts, popcorn, hard fruits, hard candies, nuts, crunchy cereals, hard cereals, pretzels, hard cookies, raw veggies, sugary foods, or tortilla chips.
What cereal can I eat with braces?
You can eat hot cereal and oatmeal, as well as any soft cereal. You could try eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Life cereal, rice crisps, cocoa pebbles, fruity pebbles, and Cheerios with braces treatment. There are a bunch of other cereals, too!
What foods should you avoid with braces?
It’s best to avoid sticky foods, crunchy cereals, hard cereals, pretzels, hard cookies, crunchy foods, chips, hard crusts, popcorn, hard fruits, hard candies, nuts, raw veggies, sugary foods, and tortilla chips with orthodontic treatment.
What are the best soft foods for braces?
Here are the best soft foods to eat with braces: Soft tortillas, peanut butter, protein shakes, smoothies, soft fruit, leafy greens, applesauce, salsa, pasta, white bread, greek yogurt, risotto, rice cereal, plain yogurt, fish, berries, ground meat, guacamole, pudding, mashed potatoes, chicken, oatmeal, grits, bananas, muffins, cooked veggies, jello, meat, sour cream, rice, popsicles, rice cereal, sweet potatoes, ice cream, soft cheeses, soft bread, eggs, pancakes, waffles, hamburgers, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, hot dogs, cookies, soft brownies, soft cinnamon rolls, and ice cream.
Can you drink coffee with braces?
Yes, you CAN drink coffee with braces. It might cause staining around the brackets though. To avoid this, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or water immediately after you finish.
Can you drink tea with braces?
Yes, you definitely CAN drink tea with braces. There might be some staining though. Rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash after you’re done drinking tea. The good news is this should prevent it.
Can you eat steak with braces?
Yes, you can eat steak with braces. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and chew with your back teeth. Avoid biting into a piece of steak with your front teeth.
Can you eat pizza with braces?
Yes, you for sure can eat pizza with braces. Cut it into small pieces if you’d like or take small bites of it. Chew with your back teeth.
The Bottom Line
You can eat oatmeal with braces! It’s actually a great thing to eat. It’s healthy, inexpensive, and easy to make. Plus, warm oatmeal will help your sore teeth.
You can eat any soft food with braces. Foods like applesauce, mashed potatoes, ice cream, pudding, jello, soft breads, soft fruits, fish, and cooked veggies are perfect to eat.
Avoid hard foods like chips, pretzels, hard fruits, raw vegetables, sticky candy, beef jerky, and nuts. They’re more likely to damage your braces.
Also, try to cut your food into small pieces and chew it in the back of your mouth. This will help you spend less time at the orthodontist!
Last Thoughts:
I hope you like this post as much as I do! I’m going to work on other posts about what you can eat with braces. I hope they’re helpful to you too.
Have a great day!
