These both apply to me.
I've had braces for 2 years in June, and I still eat popcorn, caramel, etc... Is it good for your teeth? Probably not, but if the point of wearing braces is to move your teeth, what effect is sugar/junk food going to have anyway?
I've broken off a brace twice, but it was because: 1. I got hit in the mouth playing travel soccer, and 2. I bit into a French fry. Don't ask about that last one, because I don't know, either.