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Five Braces-Friendly Dinner Recipes

January 20th, 2015

Did you know that more than four million children throughout the US and Canada have braces? At Seder Orthodontics, Dr. Karen Seder and our staff know that kids can be picky and meticulous eaters. If cooking for children without braces is difficult, preparing meals for children with braces is especially daunting.

“Comfort food takes on a whole new meaning when cooking for children with braces,” says Pamela Waterman, author of The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You and Your Orthodontist Will Love. “Whether you have new brackets, elastics, headgear, or more, there are great foods you can eat; it just takes some thought.”

These five braces-friendly dinner recipes will be sure to keep your kids smiling!

  1. Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Pasta is soft, so it’s easy for children with braces to eat. The warm, gooey cheese melts in the mouth and doesn’t get stuck in the braces like hard or sticky foods. Chances are good that even the pickiest eater has a soft spot for this homespun classic.
  2. The key to braces-friendly cooking is to replace hard, crunchy foods with softer substitutes. In other words, burritos are a better option than tacos, and lasagna is a better choice than pizza. At the same time, if you have the culinary skills to whip up a pizza with a soft crust, you’re going to win the Best Mom (or Dad) of the Year award.
  3. Your child may not like fruits and vegetables. In fact, he or she may even try to convince you that with new braces, fruits and vegetables are off limits. Nice try, kids. While your child is wearing braces, prepare meals with cooked vegetables instead of raw vegetables. A vegetable stir-fry is a healthy and soft dinner choice for kids with braces.
  4. Whether it’s beef or chicken, meat is a good source of protein. However, meat, even when it’s carefully taken off the bone (kids with braces should never eat meat from a bone), can easily get caught in braces. Sloppy Joes are a good alternative. The beef is softened by the addition of the sauce and less likely to get strung in the wires and brackets of the braces. Serve the Sloppy Joes with a side of mashed potatoes.
  5. Ask any child and he or she will tell you that the best part of dinner is dessert. While hard candy, licorice, taffy, caramel, popcorn, and all other chewy candies should be avoided, ice cream and cake are braces-friendly treats that keep kids smiling.

Need more braces-friendly food ideas? Feel free to ask any member of our team.

Our Best Dressed Pet Contest Winners Are...

January 13th, 2015

Erich Kurschat and Evan Sato! Both won a gift card to PetSmart for their Best Dressed Pet! Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures of their adorable pets!

January Events- Chicago!

January 13th, 2015

In 2015, Seder Orthodontics is going to be posting monthly event calendars! If you are looking for some fun and interesting things to do, check out our blog at the beginning of each month! For more January events, check out events12.com!


Sketch Comedy Festival

January 8 - 18, 2015

5 miles north

Choose from more than 180 shows to watch during Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival at Stage 773.

Live story telling

January 9 - 25, 2015

9 miles north

Fillet of Solo Festival makes literature come alive with solo performances and storytelling in north Chicago.   -Heartland Studio Theatre discount tickets & Lifeline Theatre discount tickets

Bluegrass & Blues

January 9 - Feb. 21, 2015

Chicago & Evanston

The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival attracts a young crowd to 23 shows by top acts in six venues.

MLK film

January 13 - 24, 2015 (maybe longer)

Chicagoland

Selma [sound] is the powerful story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the struggle for civil rights. Schedule.

Boat and RV show

January 14 - 18, 2015

3 miles south

The Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show includes plenty of boats and RVs, seminars, camping gear, and even a trout pond for kids at McCormick Place. Cost.

Zombie escape

January 14 - Feb. 12, 2015

1 mile south

You and 11 others are Trapped in a Room with a Zombie on a chain with only 1 hour to solve clues and escape, at the Fine Arts Building. Discount tickets.

Cubs Convention

January 16 - 18, 2015

0.5 mile east

Cubs fans will enjoy getting up close with their favorite players and broadcasters at Cubs Convention at the Sheraton. Cost.

Free entertainment

January 16 - Feb. 1, 2015

multiple locations

OnEdge is a series of experimental theater, modern dance, and performance art. Arrive early. Free.

Bicycle swap

January 17, 2015

28 miles NW

Buy or sell a bike, and find parts and gear, at theChicago Winter Bike Swap at Harper College in Palatine. Children 12 and under are free.

Travel show

January 17 - 18, 2015

17 miles NW

Chicago Travel & Adventure Show has travel experts and travel service providers at Rosemont convention center. Discount tickets from Groupon &LivingSocial.

Masquerade party

January 23, 2015 (9 p.m.)

1 mile south

Mix and mingle, visit the bar, hear music, and see a show at After Dark for age 21+ in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Order tickets.

Home show

January 23 - 25, 2015

3 miles south

See home improvement products, services, and demos at the Ideal Home Show at McCormick Place.Discount tickets.

Polar Bear Plunge

January 24, 2015

1 mile north

Register to join the Lakeview Polar Bear Club, and then take the Polar Plunge into Lake Michigan for charity at Oak Street Beach. Free to watch.

Audition for TV

January 24 - 25, 2015

3 miles south

Register online to audition either day for the TV show America’s Got Talent at McCormick Place. Free.

Addams Family

January 28 - March 22, 2015 (April sold out)

7.5 miles north

The Addams Family: The Musical (based on the TV show) is about the daughter falling in love with a “normal” boy and inviting him and parents to dinner, onstage at the Mercury Theater. Discount tickets

Five Fun Ways to Count Down Your Braces Time

January 6th, 2015

Braces can straighten your teeth to give you a more attractive smile for life. The process can take 18 months to two years or more, and this amount of time can seem unending when you first get your braces. Counting down your brace time can help the time pass more quickly and build the excitement for when you finally get your braces removed.

Make a Wall Calendar

Crossing out each day on a calendar is a standard way of counting down time. You can make this more personal by designing your own calendar to help you count down. Use an online customization service to upload photos or designs for each month. Each month’s picture can also display the number of months remaining until you expect your braces to come off.

Schedule Rewards

When you receive regular rewards for continuing to wear your braces, they can seem less burdensome. Plan to buy yourself a reward every month that you wear your braces for the duration of the treatment. The time will pass much faster when you feel you are earning rewards for your patience.

Lengthen a Paper Chain

Use strips of paper to make the links of your chain, and add a new link each week to lengthen the chain. Before sealing each new strip of paper into a circle, write on it a reason why you are getting your teeth straightened, or an event in the future when you will appreciate your straight teeth as you smile.

Use a Wall Hanging

Purchase a large pad of blank white paper. Write a “0” on the bottom sheet and a “1” on the next, and continue until you reach the number of days remaining in your treatment. Rip off the top sheet each day to see how many days are left and remind yourself of the progress you are making.

Find a Buddy

If any of your friends get braces around the same time as you, share the experience. Make a pact to celebrate each trip to Seder Orthodontics when one of you receives news about your progress.

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