If you, or your child, has recently been fitted with braces, then you’ll want to know what you can eat for breakfast. Particularly on the cereal front Besides, it is the most important meal of the day (so they say). But which cereals are best? Which should be avoided? Well, we are going to be running through all of this here today.
So, what cereals can you eat with braces? The best cereals to eat with braces should be soft and/or require minimal chewing. Hot cereals, such as Oatmeal, tend to be best, although rice-puffed cereals are also good. You want to avoid all hard, crunchy cereals (such as Granola), unless you can/are willing to soak them first.
I can imagine that’s a little vague for you.
And you’re here for the specifics.
Lists of suitable cereals. And lists of unsuitable cereals.
So let us now delve into those, before turning to some breakfast alternatives if none of the options sounds that appealing!
Contents
The Best Cereal To Eat With Braces
The best cereals to eat with braces are naturally soft (or soften quickly), unlikely to get stuck and are naturally low in sugar.
Examples of such are:
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is naturally soft, especially once it has been cooked and warmed.
Just be sure to avoid adding hard nuts, granola or even honey on top!
Cream of Wheat
Similar to oatmeal in texture and consistency, it’s easy to consume and requires minimal chewing.
Weetabix
Weetabix is also another soft cereal, and it is known to go soggy very quickly (in 1-2 minutes or under).
Rice-Based Cereals
Rice Krispies, Brown Rice Crisps, or Rice Chex are some of the best options here.
Again these are great to eat straight away when poured, but do tend to go soggy quickly too.
Cornflakes
Cornflakes are perhaps not the best choice, but they are generally safe and do go soggy in good time.
Just be sure to limit the consumption of high sugar options such as avoid Frosties or Frosted Flakes (if you can).
Puffed Wheat
Or any other puffed cereal, so long as it is not high in sugar.
The Worst Cereal To Eat With Braces
The worst cereal to eat with braces is hard, crunchy, unlikely to soften in milk (or takes a long time to do so), and is high in sugar. These cereals can either cause direct brace damage or even dental decay if not sufficiently removed.
Examples of such are:
Granola
Granola is often hard, coarse and difficult to chew with braces.
Fruit Loops
Fruit Loops are naturally crunchy and very high in sugar.
Read more: Can You Eat Fruit Loops With Braces?
Cap’n Crunch Cereals
The clue is in the title – not ideal.
Lucky Charms
Again, Lucky charms are too high in sugar to be a suitable option. So even though the marshmallows are soft, this cereal is not ideal.
Read more: Can You Eat Lucky Charms With Braces?
Reece’s Puffs
These chocolatey peanut butter balls are too hard to be a suitable choice.
Fruity Pebbles
Too much sugar and a hard texture make these unsuitable.
Read more: Can You Eat Fruity Pebbles With Braces?
Cookie Crisp
While they do soak, it tends to take a while and they are quite ‘crisp’ and crunchy to begin with.
Trix
High in sugar and not the softest cereal!
Apple Jacks
Again, too hard and too much sugar.
Cheerios
Notoriously hard and take a while to go soggy, Cheerios are best avoided.
Read more: Can You Eat Cheerios With Braces?
Quaker Life
Best avoided unless you have time to soak and you opt for a low sugar variety.
How To Safely Eat Cereal With Braces
If you still want to eat your favorite cereals with braces, then there are some things you can do to reduce the chances of brace damage and keep your teeth protected from the harmful effects of sugar.
Opt For Safer Cereals
It goes without saying really, but opt for the soft cereal or those that quickly go soggy.
The list above is a great place to get started.
Soak First
Crunchy and hard cereals are not totally off-limits (according to Orthodontics), so long as they can be soaked, and you are mindful of how you eat them.
So, if you do want to eat some naturally hard cereal, add a portion to a bowl, then your milk, and then give a sufficient amount of time for the cereal to soften before you eat.
Now, how long you need to wait will depend on the cereal. Some go soggy quickly, others may take quite a while.
Generally, rice-based cereal goes soggy the fastest (<2 minutes). Multigrain cereals, or high fiber options, tend to be much longer (>5 minutes).
Eat Mindfully
How you eat the cereal is also crucial too.
Be sure to suck (where possible) and also be sure to use your back teeth to chew.
Be Sure To Brush & Floss
Your dental hygiene is also critical here too.
Brushing your teeth soon after eating cereal is strongly advised. Ensure you are using a dental-approved toothbrush, and you effectively remove any cereal debris and particles from braces that may have got lodged.
Flossing is a great idea here too.
Floss between the wires of your braces, especially if you have eaten a cereal high in sugar.
Alternatives To Cereal If You Have Braces
While cereal is generally safe to eat, particularly if you are mindful of the type and how you consume it, there are other breakfast items that can make for more suitable alternatives.
Below, I run through some potential options so that your first meal of the day is still enjoyable, and fulfilling.
Croissants
Particularly plain croissants.
Be careful of pastries that are high in sugar here though.
Chocolate croissants (Pain au Chocolat) can be eaten, but are best done so in moderation. Also avoid those where the chocolate chips are hard – you want them to be melted (if possible).
Soft Fresh Fruit
Whether this is a fruit medley, or individual pieces.
Opt for softer fruits, such as pineapple and mango.
Also wait for certain fruits to properly ripen (such as with bananas), to ensure they are soft and not too hard.
Yogurt
Great for protein and available in all sorts of flavors and varieties. It doesn’t require chewing either!
Eggs
Scrambled, boiled, or even fried.
Eggs are great on their own, too.
Lastly
Cereal can be eaten with braces.
Some, right away. Others may require some preparation (soaking) and the need to be more mindful both during eating, and after.
Essentially, if its soft and low in sugar, you should be good to go.
And be sure to leverage the true power of milk. It can soften even the hardest of cereals.
Assuming you like your cereal that way!
FAQs
Can I eat soggy cereal with braces?
You can eat soggy cereal with braces as it is soft and much less likely to cause potential damage to brace wires or brackets. It is essential, however, that cereal is sufficiently soggy – some cereal will take longer to soften than others.
Can you eat Captain Crunch with braces?
It is generally not advised to eat Captain Crunch with braces – their hard and crunchy texture is likely to cause damage to your braces. However, you can try soaking them in milk for 5-10 minutes to make them soggy.
Related Guides
- What Candy Can You Eat With Braces?
- Best Candy For Braces • The 5 That Are Safe To Eat! •
- Can You Eat Chocolate With Braces?
Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.