missny

Hi,
If you go search for archwired (site for braces) they have a lot of foods listed that are soft.

here are some of their suggestions:

Dairy

Smooth yogurt, or yogurt without a lot of chunks. You could also take chunky yogurt and puree it in a blender to break down the chunks. Also, try the new yogurt in a tube, available at most grocery stores.

Various soft cheeses, such as brie, cottage cheese, and thinly sliced Swiss, cheddar, harvarti, etc.

Milk-based drinks

Custard

Pudding

Breads and Baked Goods

Any type of soft bread that does not have seeds, nuts, or pieces of whole grains. If you like whole-wheat bread, look for one that has a smooth texture. Tear off the crust if necessary.

Muffins without nuts or chunks

Corn bread, corn muffins

Soft cakes

Tortillas (corn and flour, microwaved or steamed until soft)

Pancakes

Saltine crackers and matzo are often soft enough to smoosh at the roof of your mouth with your tongue

Grains

Couscous

Quinoa

Pasta

Noodles

Soft-cooked rice, risotto

Bulgur

Kasha

Farro wheat (cooked very soft like risotto)

Polenta

Matzo balls

Grits

Meats and Poultry

Soft-cooked chicken

Bar-b-que type soft cooked meat

Meatloaf

Chicken salad

Thinly sliced lunch meats

Meatballs

Many meat recipes that you make in a crock pot or pressure cooker are very tender

Chicken nuggets cut into very small pieces

Meat Alternatives

Tofu can be made in many ways and is always easy to eat.

Seafood

Soft-cooked fish

Fish croquettes (salmon, tuna)

Fish loaf (tuna, salmon)

Tuna, salmon, or whitefish salad

Frozen flavored fish filets

Crab cakes

Fish sticks (non-crunchy, cut into small pieces)

Soups

Look in your local grocery store for soups that either don't contain chunks, or have very mushy ingredients.

Vegetables

Soft-cooked carrots, squash

Mashed potatoes

Potato pancakes

Smooshed potato salad

Cole slaw

Spinach or corn soufflé (Stouffer's makes a frozen one)

Fresh spinach, chard, kale, or other greens, cooked very soft or steamed and cut up.

Avocados, guacamole

Salsa (non-chunky)

Beans (mashed it necessary)

Hummus, various Middle Eastern dips

Fruits

Mashed bananas

Applesauce

Baked apples

Fruit juice, juice smoothies (protein powder can be added)

Other ripe fruits that get mushy

Treats

Ice cream without nuts or chunks, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet, granita

Milkshakes, smoothies

Most cold drinks make your teeth feel better - iced tea, iced coffee, etc. But be careful not to inadvertently drink too much caffeine!

Soft cakes

Cheesecake that has been microwaved for 30 seconds to one minute (it gets a bit mushy and easier to eat)

Cream pies

Jell-O (gelatin)

Custard or flan

Pudding

Shakes and Bars

Protein shakes, Slim Fast, etc.

Zone Perfect Bars (when you can chew a little bit. These are the least chewy protein bars I've found so far, with a texture like Rice Krispy Treats).

here are some more:

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs. Add cheese for more protein.

Frozen cheese blintzes (available in some grocery stores)

Hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc)

Cold cereal that has gotten mushy with milk

Pancakes

Soggy waffles

Muffins without nuts or chunks

Matzo brie - soak a piece of matzo in water until soft, drain water, mix mushy matzo with one or two eggs, fry in butter or cooking spray until mixture is cooked. Serve plain or with cinnamon sugar.

Breakfast grits made with milk and butter

Lunch

Macaroni and cheese

Ramen noodles, chopped up

Spaghetti, chopped up. Canned varieties are usually very soft.

Tuna or chicken salad

Egg salad

Cottage cheese

Various soups: Miso, egg drop, chicken, etc.

Thinly sliced lunch meat, broken into bits

Noodle side-dishes (Lipton makes one, for example)

Bean and cheese Mexican dishes (burritos, enchiladas, etc) You can find some frozen ones in your grocery store.

When eating out, look for dishes that obviously have soft foods, and no nuts or hard-to-chew chunks.

Quiche

Dinner

Meatloaf

Shepard's pie

Soft cooked fish - steamed or simmered is usually best. Or fish cakes/croquettes.

Bean and cheese enchiladas or burritos

Chili (mash it up if necessary)

Sloppy Joes. Try making them with various sauces for more variety, such as bottled Indian sauces, Creole sauces, or your favorite marinating sauce. Substitute ground chicken or turkey for variety. A great BBQ chicken sloppy joe uses boneless chicken thighs. Mince in a food processor until they are a gooey mess, then fry it in a pan until it looks like ground chicken. Add BBQ sauce and cook down -- on soft bread they are easily eaten by semi-chewers. Non-chewers can cut it up with a fork into small bites.

Cooked steak, shredded in a food processor. Top with caramelized onions and/or shredded cheese (or a dipping sauce - BBQ, Teriyaki, etc.) and it becomes a shredded hot salad.

Pasta, ravioli

Asian fried rice or noodles with tiny bits of meat and soft veggies

Lasagna

Enchilada Pie (layers of corn tortillas, beans, cheese, and sauce. Add bits of meat if desired)



Hope that helps,

Michele