Ideas For School Lunch While Wearing Braces

Now that we are in October, hopefully you and your family are in a routine to get the kids out the door bright and early for school. During those first few weeks, everyone is feeling a certain level of excitement, and it’s a little easier to get everybody ready. As the year moves along, it typically gets harder and harder to find that same motivation from the beginning of the school year. This is especially true if you pack lunch for your child. It can be even more difficult if your child has braces and you are trying to follow the guidelines of their food restrictions. We know it can also be challenging for your child to make wise decisions when ordering school lunch from the cafeteria. It can be tempting to choose restricted food items. We would hate for your child to experience an orthodontic emergency during school due to making an incorrect food choice and damaging their hardware.

We want to share some helpful ideas for things your child could eat for school lunch that will be safe for their braces.

Lunch Ideas from Home

• Peanut butter (or nut butter alternative) and jelly on soft bread
• Hummus with soft pita wedges and cucumber bites
• Tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad
• Thinly sliced lunch meat and cheese
• Soft fruits like bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and orange slices

Lunch Ideas from the Cafeteria

• Macaroni and cheese
• Pasta with sauce
• Meatballs
• Soup
• Soft tortilla options, such as quesadillas
• French toast sticks, pancakes, and waffles
• Yogurt

Foods to Avoid

Remember to avoid any foods that are too hard, sticky, or chewy. Be sure not to choose items that you need to bite into or foods that will easily become stuck in your braces. Whether you bring food from home or you eat lunch from the school cafeteria, it is important to leave these options to the side and make a better choice:

• Pizza crust
• Bagels
• Beef jerky
• Candy like taffy, hard candies, lollipops
• Corn on the cob
• Whole apples (you can cut apples into bite-size pieces)
• Carrot sticks
• Popcorn
• Nuts

We hope everyone is having a wonderful start to this school year and that you find these lunch suggestions helpful. As always, if you have any questions about orthodontic care or experience an orthodontic emergency be sure to contact our office located in Southfield, MI and we can help!