My 9 1/2 year old son had partial braces put on six top teeth today (two on the front teeth and two on each side), and I am trying to come up with some good lunchbox ideas. I know I can still pack the sandwiches he enjoys, although I guess I will have to give him bread and not his favorite rolls. My problem is my son has gotten picky about what he takes to school. I used to pack a thermos with pasta, soup, leftovers, etc. but he says that is just too "weird" for fourth grade. He will eat yougurt and cheesesticks at home, but he says not to put those items in his lunchbox. I think he probably wants a "regular" lunch like his friends, with a sandwich, chips, dessert, and a piece of fruit or some veggie sticks. I usually try to get a "healthy" chip like Sun Chips or something baked, but those items are not allowed. The orthodontist did say that because my son doesn't have braces on his back teeth, he has a little more freedom with a few forbidden items if he breaks them into pieces and chews them on his back teeth. However, he doesn't have enough time at lunch to be breaking chips into little pieces. He likes grapes, so I will definitely pick some of those up at the store tomorrow. Eventually he will get hungry and realize he needs to eat what he is given, but I'm still trying to think of items I can give him that meet his definition of "not weird". Fortunately the braces only need to be on for six months.
My kids eat pretty much anything they ate before braces except caramel apples and hard candy (which they rarely had anyway). It's been a year and no problems so far. Hopefully it stays that way. For about a day after tightening, they do eat softer foods--PB&J sandwiches, mac n cheese in a thermos.
Unless the rolls are hard crunchy rolls, I don't see why he can't have his sandwich on that? My son has full top braces, and a herbst appliance. He goes back in a couple more weeks for his bottom braces.
He eats lots of things I was paranoid about the first few weeks. Even popcorn (just not the hard un-popped or partially un-popped ones). Chips aren't a problem, as long as they are fresh and not stale and hard.
But, maybe we've just been lucky... ?
Just go down the snack isle and he can pick out what he wants. At 9.5 years, if he should know what he wants.
My dd continued to eat sun chips and Doritos when she had braces. The only thing she avoided was super sticky foods.
My daughter (age 8 1/2) has braces and pretty much eats what she wants. The only real no-nos are popcorn, candies, chewing on ice cubes, and hard chips like doritos/tortilla chips. She does eat sun chips, those are our favorite.
My son had braces only on the front and with bread as long as it is not extremely crunchy like biscotti crunchy he did not break anything. As for what to pack,
cut up apples
grapes
watermelon
strawberries
any type of fruit cup
dry cereal (my kids love munching on mini wheats)
you could put the chips in the lunch box but smash them before putting them in so they are already broken up
It seems like there is so much that they can not have but as long as they are careful and you keep up on what they can and cannot have he will make it. My son had top and bottom with just the front teeth for 10 months and has had a retainer for the last 4 months. The retainer is more of the pain then the braces themselves and he was about the same age that your son is when he got them.
cups of applesauce, small cans of fruit, go-gurt or crush cups!
Cream cheese roll UPS(whatever for topping), hard boiled eggs, cubed roasted chicken,cheese cubes with a frozen juice box to keep them cold enough, veggies with dip, we put burritos in a thermos, pudding. I made my kids write a list of 100 foods that would not come home or if it did it was due to time. This way it's his choice and has to fit in with our schools healthy kid initiative.
