Braces-Friendly BBQ Foods

With summer just around the corner, you’re sure to have at least a few BBQ parties on your calendar! If you have braces, food-centered events can sometimes bring stress or anxiety because of your restricted diet. We wanted to make your life a little easier by coming up with some braces-friendly BBQ tips!

The good news is that you can still enjoy a lot of classic BBQ foods with your braces. For example, there’s no reason you can’t still chow down on sides like pasta salad, potato salad, fruit salad, and deviled eggs! For hot sides, you can still enjoy foods like macaroni and cheese, beans, and chilli. Keep reading for tips about replacing some of the more difficult BBQ foods!

Cut Up the Classics

A BBQ party would be incomplete without the classic main dishes like burgers and hot dogs fresh off the grill. It can be difficult to bite into these foods with braces, especially if you’ve had them adjusted recently. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out! Try cutting up your burgers and hot dogs if your teeth are too sensitive to bite directly into them. They’ll taste just as great with a fork and knife! Still too tough? Sometimes a veggie patty can be a delicious and softer alternative. You can also use this trick to enjoy corn ‘off’ the cob – just scrape the corn off of the cob and on to your plate!

Braces-Friendly Beverages

The cooler full of cold soda cans may be tempting, but remember how corrosive those sugary carbonated drinks can be. Instead of soda, try making some naturally refreshing fruit-infused water! Take a big pitcher and fill it with a few cups of fruits and herbs like watermelon, strawberries, citrus slices, mint, or basil. Be sure to leave the pitcher in the fridge for at least a few hours, so that the water has a chance to soak up all the delicious flavors. You can experiment with different flavor combinations until you find your favorite! These festive drinks will keep you hydrated in the summer heat, and will also look pretty and summery displayed on your table.

Creative Griller

Don’t be afraid to stray from the classics and put some of your favorite braces-friendly meals on the BBQ! Experiment with grilling your favorite veggies, slicing them thinly enough to easily chew. You can also make some classic potato dishes right on the BBQ, or get even more creative with recipes like this one for grilled jalapeno honey butter cornbread. Think outside the box!

Don’t Forget Dessert!

More good news – most BBQ dessert classics are already braces-friendly! You can still enjoy treats like ice cream sundaes, popsicles, jello salad, fruit salad, and pudding! Of course, you’ll want to make sure you brush your teeth soon after eating so that the sugars and food particles don’t damage your teeth or your braces.

We hope these tips and tricks from your friends at Orthodontics LA help make your summer that much sweeter! Have any other braces-friendly recipes or ideas? Share them with us in the comments!