Braces & Easter Basket Suggestions

Braces & Easter Basket Suggestions
Posted on 03/24/2016

Just when parents think they have escaped problems with their kids’ braces after Halloween candies and then Valentine’s candies, Easter shows up on the calendar. Easter baskets are full of chocolate caramel bunnies and chocolate-covered nuts that can damage children’s braces.

How can parents create a low-sugar and brace-safe Easter basket, but still include treats that kids will find fun?

 

Themed Baskets

Pick a theme to fit your child’s personality. Does your child love helping out in the garden, painting with watercolors or cooking in the kitchen? Create a basket based on their interests. For green thumb kids, add carrot seeds to plant for the Easter bunny, sprouting spring flower bulbs, a colorful trowel and gardening gloves. Instead of a standard Easter basket, use a watering can or a flower box.

If your child is interested in art, fill a paint bucket with charcoal, acrylics, sketch pads, paint brushes and a few instructional books on landscapes and wildlife—and have them draw or paint an Easter rabbit.

For chefs-in-training, use a bright and festive mixing bowl in lieu of a basket and fill it with mixing spoons, recipe books, and ingredients to make Easter treats. Homemade baking doesn’t have preservatives that damage enamel on teeth, plus you have more control over how much sugar you want to include in your recipes.

 

Sticky candy is the #1 enemy of braces, so you'll have to stay away from caramel, gummies, jelly beans,taffy, Star Bursts, Tootsie Rolls , and any other sticky candies. They tear up your braces and honestly, they will probably hurt your tender teeth.

 

Avoid these Easter candies for kids with braces:

Jelly beans

Bubblegum

Taffy

Licorice

Caramel

Chocolate with nuts

“Leather” fruit or fruit roll-ups

 

Include Toys or Games

Balance candy with non-edible treats. Weisner Orthodontics would love to see parents creating completely sugar-free baskets for kids, but we know kids enjoy chocolate just as much as adults! Continue reading about safe Easter candies for kids with braces below, but make half your Easter basket goodies non-edible. Choose iTunes or Amazon gift cards for music or book lovers, or add nail polish or games for them to play with their friends.  Put a brightly colored new Toothbrush in the basket~ Maybe the Cool Electric/Sonic one that your child has been wishing for!

 

Safe Easter treats for kids with braces:

Baked goods (cookies, brownies, cakes with no nuts)

Junior Mints

Pixie Sticks

KitKat Bars

3 Muskateers Bar

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

M&Ms; (plain)

Chocolate with rice crispies

 

Keep It Homemade

If you want to make better candy choices when it comes to your kids’ braces, baked goods are safer if they are nut-free. You can bake your own Easter desserts and reduce the sugar content. Make “grass” as a cupcake topping by mixing green food dye into coconut, layering it on top of white icing, and topping it with a chocolate bunny. This is something fun to do and fun to eat, which will keep kids busy baking and decorating instead of looking for candy that can hurt or ruin their braces.

Enjoy Your Easter Celebration!