When you have braces, there are a few eating habits that you might need to adjust. The following types of food can damage your braces, so it’s best to avoid them. Hard foods: examples include nuts, hard candy, hard cookies Sticky foods: examples include caramels, Tootsie Rolls, and toffee Chewy foods: examples include bagels, licorice, pizza crust, French bread Crunchy foods: examples include popcorn, raw celery, pretzels, and hard taco shells Foods you bite into: examples include corn on the cob, raw whole apples, and carrots You also need to avoid gum, ice, and other non-food things. Avoid the urge to chew on pencils or straws, for example.