Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday this year so there will be plenty of celebrating going on. Of course, a huge part of the festivities is the delicious food and while you can still indulge in most of your Cinco de Mayo favorites when you’re wearing braces, you may have to make a few alterations to the menu to ensure your brackets and wires stay in tip-top shape.
Since we don’t want our Sleepy Hollow, NY braces patients feeling left out, 914 Orthodontics has put together a guide to braces-friendly Mexican food you can eat for Cinco de Mayo. Whether you’re on the hunt for Cinco de Mayo food ideas to whip up at home or you’ll be stopping by one of our many fantastic Westchester County, NY Mexican restaurants like La Chinita Poblana, The Taco Project, Tijuana Mexican Grill, Fiesta Mexico Restaurant or Azteca Paradise Restaurant, we’ve got the all of the tips and recipes you need.
Cinco de Mayo Appetizers
The Tweaks: Tortilla chips are a Cinco de Mayo staple but hard chips are a food to avoid with braces since they can damage your appliance. We’d suggest having soft tortillas instead. Spread your salsa, queso dip or guacamole on pieces of soft tortilla to still get the goodness. If you’re snacking on Mexican street corn (elotes), strip the corn off the cob to eat it.
Braces-Friendly Appetizer Recipes for Cinco de Mayo: When it comes to Mexican food braces wearers really can’t top a bowl of ceviche. It’s fresh, flavorful and healthy. At 914 Orthodontics, we love this recipe for Mexican ceviche from Genius Kitchen, which includes your choice of several types of fish or a mixture of fish and shrimp, onion, jalapeño peppers, green pepper, avocado, lime juice, white vinegar, Tabasco sauce and spices.
Dice everything into small pieces to really make it the perfect food to eat with braces. If seafood isn’t your thing or you’re a vegetarian, you may want to give this chiles rellenos with tomato and avocado salsa from Food & Wine a whirl. The poblanos are stuffed with a mixture of cheese and jalapeños and adorned with a perfectly seasoned, scrumptious salsa. Top Chef fans will be excited to know it comes courtesy of judge Gail Simmons.
Cinco de Mayo Main Courses
The Tweaks: Hard taco shells are another food to avoid with braces (a small sacrifice that will be totally worth it when you see that new smile after treatment is finished!). Soft tacos or burritos are a better choice. However, biting into your taco or burrito with your front teeth is a bad idea. Even if it doesn’t cause any damage, you’ll end up with huge chunks of food in your braces.
Your best bet? Cut your burrito or soft taco into small pieces and chew with your back teeth. When considering Cinco de Mayo food ideas, remember, soft-cooked meats, beans and steamed, roasted or soft veggies are all safe to eat with braces.
Braces-Friendly Main Course Recipes for Cinco de Mayo: The Huffington Post has a round-up of delicious burrito recipes ranging from steak to pork to veggie. Or, make a batch of bright, festive lime chicken soft tacos from All Recipes, perfect for a group. If you just had an appointment for an adjustment and you’re in the market for soft foods for braces, this Yucatan-style chicken and onion stew via Saveur has amazing citrus flavors paired with soft, stewed chicken.
For an easier take on tamales that’s gluten free and can be made vegan by substituting vegetable broth, try this Mexican tamale pie (tamal de cazuela) with black bean filling from Serious Eats. To give your braces-friendly Cinco de Mayo feast some Tex-Mex flavor, dig into Ree Drummond’s enchiladas from Food Network.
Cinco de Mayo Desserts
The Tweaks: A lot of the focus on Cinco de Mayo is on the savory foods but Mexican desserts are some of the most underrated, delicious treats out there. Even better? The vast majority of them are safe for braces. If you’ll be having something like a churro, tear it into small pieces instead of biting into it. When you’re finished with dessert, be sure to brush your teeth really well.
Braces-Friendly Mexican Dessert Recipes for Cinco de Mayo: Tres leches cake is really a dessert winner as far braces-friendly Mexican food you can eat for Cinco de Mayo because it’s nice and soft but still substantial enough to make you feel satisfied. This tres leches cake from All Recipes has over 1,100 reviews. If you just got your braces put on or had an adjustment and you’d rather not chew at all, try this Mexican hot chocolate recipe from Bon Appétit or go for something really soft like Cocina Marie’s Mexican flan (brush your teeth after that caramel). Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Did you know at 914 Orthodontics we speak Spanish and English? So if you’re looking for a Spanish speaking orthodontist, book an appointment with us today!
