What to Eat with Braces in the First Week

Key Takeaways

• Stick to soft foods in the first week to reduce pain and protect brackets and wires.
• Great first-week choices include smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pasta, soups, and soft fruits like bananas or applesauce.
• Avoid hard, crunchy, and sticky foods (e.g., popcorn, nuts, raw vegetables, caramel, gum) to prevent damage to braces.
• Nutrition still matters: choose calcium-rich dairy, vitamin-packed vegetables (steamed or pureed), and protein-based soft foods to support teeth and gum health.
• Limit sugary snacks to reduce plaque buildup around brackets and prevent enamel erosion.
• Eat smart: cut foods into small pieces, chew slowly with back teeth, and stay hydrated.
• Ease discomfort with orthodontic wax, warm saltwater rinses, or pain relievers before meals if needed.
• Reintroduce textures gradually: start with liquids/purees (days 1–3), then move to fork-mashable foods (days 4–5), and soft proteins/veggies (days 6–7).
• Meal planning helps: a balanced 7-day braces-friendly plan keeps nutrition on track while minimizing discomfort.
• Hydration is key: sip lukewarm water often, use straws for cold drinks, and avoid extreme temperatures.

Getting braces is a big step toward achieving a straighter, healthier smile. But the first few days, especially the first week, can feel a little uncomfortable as your teeth, gums, and mouth adjust to the new brackets and wires. One of the most common questions new patients have is: what to eat with braces the first day and the first week?

The right food choices during this period can make all the difference in managing discomfort, protecting your braces, and ensuring your body still gets the nutrients it needs. Let’s walk through everything you need to know about what to eat when you just got braces, what to avoid, and how to make eating easier during the first week.

Why Soft Foods Are Essential?

When you first get braces, your teeth and gums are sensitive. Biting into crunchy or chewy foods can feel painful, and there’s always the risk of damaging the brackets or wires. Here’s why sticking to softer foods is so important:

Post-Placement Sensitivity

The pressure from braces often causes soreness in the teeth and gums. Soft foods minimize chewing discomfort.

Risk of Damage

Hard or sticky foods can easily break brackets, loosen wires, or get stuck between braces, delaying your treatment.

Chewing Efficiency

Softer foods allow you to eat comfortably and still get the nutrients you need without straining your teeth. In short, a soft-food diet isn’t just about comfort—it’s about protecting your orthodontic investment.

Braces-Friendly Soft Foods: First Week Essentials

If you’re wondering what can I eat first day of braces, think smooth, creamy, and easy-to-chew. The good news is that there are plenty of tasty, braces-friendly options.

Top 17 Soft Foods

These foods are gentle on your teeth and safe for your braces:

• Smoothies
• Yogurt
• String cheese
• Grapes (seedless, cut in halves)
• Bananas
• Applesauce
• Sweet potato fries (soft-baked)
• Pudding
• Hummus
• Oatmeal
• Scrambled eggs
• Soups (pureed or creamy)
• Pasta (soft-cooked)
• Soft flaky fish (like salmon or tilapia)
• Steamed or boiled vegetables
• Mashed potatoes
• Ice cream (bonus: the cold helps soothe soreness)

Additional Nutrient-Rich Options

• Cottage cheese is rich in protein and calcium.
• Milkshakes with protein powder can be an ideal way to stay full.
• Pureed lentil or vegetable soups are full of vitamins and minerals without requiring much chewing.

Foods to Avoid in the First Week

Eating the wrong foods during the first week of braces can cause unnecessary pain and even damage your orthodontic appliances. Here are the main culprits to skip:

Hard or Crunchy Foods

Popcorn, nuts, chips, pretzels, raw vegetables, hard fruits, pizza crust, bagels, ice.

Sticky Foods

Gum, caramel, toffee, taffy, sticky candies.

Biting Hazards

Whole apples, raw carrots, and corn on the cob, unless cut into tiny, soft pieces later in treatment.

Think of it this way: if a food could bend a wire, pop off a bracket, or get hopelessly stuck, it’s best avoided.

Nutrition & Oral Microbiome Considerations

When adjusting to braces, it’s tempting to focus only on soft and easy-to-chew foods. However, nutrition plays an equally important role as texture. The health of your teeth, gums, and even the oral microbiome, the community of bacteria in your mouth, can be affected by what you eat. Making mindful choices not only eases discomfort but also helps prevent future dental issues.

Balanced, Low-Acid Diet

Acidic foods and drinks like sodas, citrus juices, and vinegar-based snacks can weaken enamel, which is already more at risk with braces since food often sticks around brackets and wires. Maintaining a balanced diet while straightening teeth, in addition to a low-acid diet that helps maintain your mouth’s pH, makes it less favorable for cavity and gum-disease-causing bacteria. Go for soft grains, cooked vegetables, and dairy instead of acidic beverages and processed snacks.

Calcium-Rich Dairy

Calcium is vital for strong teeth and bones. During orthodontic treatment, your teeth shift within the jawbone. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt supply calcium, phosphorus, and casein proteins that protect enamel. Yogurt and kefir also provide probiotics, which support a healthy oral microbiome by boosting good bacteria.

Vitamin-Rich Vegetables

Crunchy raw vegetables may be tough with braces, but steamed, boiled, or pureed vegetables are great substitutes. Veggies packed with vitamins A, C, and K, such as spinach, cooked carrots, and broccoli, strengthen gum tissue and support healing. Vitamin C is especially helpful for collagen production, which is crucial for gum health during orthodontic adjustments.

Limit Sugar

Sugary foods and drinks pose extra risks with braces. Sticky residues from sweets, sodas, and baked goods cling to brackets and wires, encouraging plaque buildup. This can cause white spots (early enamel damage), cavities, and gum inflammation. For safer sweet options, choose braces-friendly alternatives like applesauce, ripe bananas, or smoothies lightly sweetened with honey.

Practical Eating Strategies

Adjusting to braces isn’t just about what you eat; it’s also about how you eat.

• Cut food into small pieces: Reduces chewing effort.
• Chew slowly: It gives your teeth time to adapt.
• Use your back teeth: They’re stronger and less sensitive than front teeth during this stage.
• Stay hydrated: It keeps your mouth moist and reduces irritation from friction.

Pain Management during Meals

Eating with braces for the first time can feel strange. Here are a few tricks to ease discomfort:

• Over-the-counter pain relief: Taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen before meals can reduce soreness.
• Warm saltwater rinses: Soothe irritated gums and cheeks.
• Orthodontic wax: Protects your cheeks and lips from sharp edges on brackets.

Equipment & Tools That Help

Having the right tools makes eating with braces easier and more enjoyable.

• Smoothie cups or insulated bottles: Keep drinks cold and refreshing.
• Soft-tipped spoons and bendable cutlery: More comfortable for sore teeth.
• Small storage containers: Perfect for carrying pre-portioned snacks like yogurt or cottage cheese.

Step-By-Step Texture Reintroduction

Here’s a timeline for what to eat when you just got braces during the first week:

Days 1–3

• Stick to liquids and purees like smoothies, creamy soups, and yogurt.

Days 4–5

• Move on to soft, fork-mashable foods like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and well-cooked pasta.

Days 6–7

• Try soft proteins such as shredded chicken, flaky fish, and steamed vegetables.
• By the end of the week, you’ll feel more confident about introducing a wider variety of soft foods.

Sample 7-Day Braces-Friendly Meal Plan

Here’s an example to take the guesswork out of your first week of meals.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Banana smoothie with yogurt
• Snack: Applesauce
• Lunch: Creamy tomato soup
• Dinner: Mashed potatoes with soft fish
• Dessert: Pudding

Day 2

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with mashed banana
• Snack: String cheese
• Lunch: Lentil soup with soft bread
• Dinner: Soft pasta with ricotta
• Dessert: Ice cream

Day 3

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with avocado
• Snack: Cottage cheese with grapes
• Lunch: Chicken broth with noodles
• Dinner: Sweet potato mash with steamed veggies
• Dessert: Yogurt parfait

Day 4

• Breakfast: Smoothie with protein powder
• Snack: Applesauce
• Lunch: Butternut squash soup
• Dinner: Shredded chicken with soft rice
• Dessert: Pudding

Day 5

• Breakfast: Soft pancakes with syrup
• Snack: Yogurt
• Lunch: Pasta with soft vegetables
• Dinner: Flaky baked salmon with mashed potatoes
• Dessert: Ice cream

Day 6

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with soft berries
• Snack: String cheese
• Lunch: Pureed vegetable soup
• Dinner: Shredded chicken casserole (soft)
• Dessert: Yogurt smoothie

Day 7

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese
• Snack: Applesauce
• Lunch: Broccoli-cheddar soup
• Dinner: Soft pasta with steamed spinach and fish
• Dessert: Pudding or ice cream

Hydration Tips

Hydration plays a bigger role in comfort than you might think:

• Sip lukewarm water throughout the day to stay fresh.
• Use a straw for cold drinks to reduce tooth sensitivity.
• Avoid extremes: Very hot or icy foods can make braces discomfort worse.

Foods to Eat with Braces

Summing it up, braces are the oldest and most effective teeth straightening solution. However, teeth straightening with braces means metal brackets fixed to your teeth along with wires. The brackets not only impact your appearance but also make it challenging to keep up with your oral hygiene and eating patterns.

The first week with braces can feel overwhelming, but knowing what you can eat when you first get braces makes the transition easier. Sticking to soft, nutritious foods helps reduce discomfort, protects your braces, and ensures your teeth and gums stay healthy throughout treatment. If you’ve just started your orthodontic journey, remember: each week gets easier, and your smile is worth the effort.