Happy Holidays!

by Dr. Anne D. Angle on December 6, 2011

Most parents would agree that cooking for kids can be difficult, but when children have braces, the task can seem especially daunting.  From sore teeth to picky eating habits, finding something that suits everyone in the family can be a real challenge especially during the holiday season.

There are a bunch of great foods that you can eat whether you have new brackets, elastics, headgear or more. We ask that you avoid hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy foods to make  the treatment process run smoothly.  When our patients take care of their teeth, they end up with better results.

One key to brace-friendly cooking is making comparable and soft substitutes.  Instead of serving meats on the bone, our office suggests cooking ground meat.  It is also helpful to prepare cooked veggies instead of raw and substituting hard tacos for softer burritos.  You can also substitute hard crusted pizza with softer lasagna.

Here are some fun & creative brace friendly holiday recipes from our office:

Quick Cake-Mix Cookies ( These are much softer on teeth and braces than traditional cookies)

  • 1 box of cake mix in any flavor that makes two 9″ rounds
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, using an electric mixer until well blended and creamy (about 1 minute). Using a tablespoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 9 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool and decorate with sprinkles, powdered sugar, etc.  Store in a covered container- makes about 4 dozen.

Chicken Noodle Soup (this is an excellent comfort food for sore teeth)

  • 1 can of chicken broth (46oz)
  • 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 cup uncooked egg noodles
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup sliced celery
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken in chicken broth for about 20 minutes.  Add noodles, carrots, onion, celery, dill weed, pepper and salt.  Heat to boil.  Reduce heat, simmer about 20 minutes or until noodles are fully cooked.

Gingerbread Cake (a holiday favorite)

  • 1/2 cup butter or one stick
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9- inch square pan.  Cream the butter together with sugar until light and fluffy.  whisk in the molasses and sour cream.  Add eggs, continuing to beat until well-blended.  In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger.  Add to the wet ingredients and beat until smooth.  Pour into the greased pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

We hope you enjoy your holiday season!