Put up the mistletoe, decorate the tree, and make your wish lists – it’s the Christmas Holiday season!
We want this to be the best holiday season for all our patients. While there are some holiday foods those with braces will have to avoid, there are lots of fun foods safe for those with braces to eat. And read on for some suggestions for holiday activities in our St. George, Utah area.
Foods to Avoid
Candy Canes – Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree. However, candy canes and other hard candies are not safe to eat if you have braces. If you love peppermint, you can have peppermint marshmallows and soft peppermint candies such as “Bob’s Soft Peppermint Candies.”
Sticky Treats – If you have braces, avoid anything with nuts or caramel, such as caramel apples, pecan pie, hard candy, peanut brittle, or caramel apples. These treats can cause damage to braces. Even if you wear Invisalign®, these types of candy can easily get trapped under the clear aligners, creating the perfect environment for cavities.
Nuts: Peanuts, cashews, almonds, and walnuts are hard and can damage your braces, but they can also become stuck around your braces. Almonds, peanuts, and pecans are also frequently found in holiday foods, such as peanut brittle, pecan pie, and brownies. So, watch out for these in desserts as well.
Gingerbread – Your family may have a tradition of making gingerbread houses. You can enjoy the fun of creating one, but the gingerbread typically dries out and becomes too hard to chew safely with braces. You can enjoy soft gingerbread cookies as an alternative.
Foods You Can Enjoy with Braces
Hot Chocolate – You can still enjoy hot chocolate with braces. And even better, you can add toppings like marshmallows, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings. You can dip cookies in your hot chocolate to make them soft enough to eat with braces.
Dinner Feasts – You can still enjoy most Christmas dishes with your braces, such as tender turkey, ham, beef, or fish. Avoid chewing meat still on the bone because you don’t want to bite down hard on a bone with braces accidentally.
Side Dishes: There are lots of sides you can eat. You can load up on mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, and mac n’ cheese. And don’t be shy about eating soft veggies like creamed spinach, peas, or cooked string beans.
Desserts – you can still have cookies, brownies, cakes, and other soft treats fresh from the oven! Soft-filled pies such as pumpkin, apple, cherry, or cream are great. And, of course, you can have your pie served with ice cream!
December Fun
If you are looking for some fun activities in our area, we have listed a few you can check out:
St. George Christmas Village Red Cliffs Mall
St. George Gingerbread Parade, December 17
Dixie Four-Wheel Drive Parade, December 17
The Forgotten Carols, Dec 21
Christmas Shows and Concerts at the Tuachan Center
Carousel Christmas at the St. George Town Square
Final Words
We hope we have helped to give you some ideas for planning your holiday festivities with lots of foods that are braces-friendly and fun activities. And keep in mind, braces won’t have to be worn forever. Before you know it, the braces will come off and, in their place, will be a beautiful and healthy smile!
Our Holiday Best to You,
Dr. Jeff Erikson
Orthodontist Specialists
