Preparing softer foods for my partner and I

October 26, 2006 3:06 PM

What kind of softer-food meals can I prepare for my partner and I that we won't get tired of?

My partner is in the process of getting some dental crowns, but because of insurance stipulations he won't be able to have them completed until February. He will have to put up with his temporaries until then. Thankfully he's not on a liquid diet and can still eat solid foods, he just isn't able to do any heavy-duty chewing.

He doesn't want me to blend anything into baby food, and I don't need suggestions for fiber-specific foods. My problem is finding yummy meals that both of us will enjoy. I'm already sick of pasta, tomato soup, tuna and mashed potatoes. I'm not above telling him to fix his own meal so I can enjoy my steak in peace, but I'd much rather fix something for the both of us.

posted by rhapsodie to food & drink (13 comments total)

IANA entist but my father is. The temporary cement shouldn't require that you eat only soft foods - rather that you avoid very hard foods (no jawbreaker candies or peanut brittle).

My understanding is that many people chew normally on the temporary crowns for a year or two before it comes loose and they are forced back to the dentist.

Don't drive yourselves crazy with this. On the off-chance it does come loose, its no big deal to run into the dentist for some more temporary cement. It should only take a few minutes and can likely be done the same day it happens.
posted by AuntLisa at 3:29 PM on October 26, 2006

Risotto and paella are both endlessly adaptable, and should certainly be soft enough for him to chew. Also delicious.
posted by Powerful Religious Baby at 3:29 PM on October 26, 2006

Soup (infinite variety! see this recent thread to get started) and bread
Pasta (infinite variety)
Tofu stir-fry (very great variety)
Black beans and rice; mixed bean salads
Roasted root veggies (sweet potato, squashes, beets, potatoes)
Stuffing and cranberry sauce like at Thanksgiving
Pierogies or other soft dumplings, with various sauces
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:30 PM on October 26, 2006

Meatloaf, hamburger, sausages, and other prepared meats still offer tremendous taste variety. So, there is no reason to forgo tasty meat dishes, and this is perhaps even an opportunity to explore things like sausage history you might not have looked into otherwise.

Chili, stir fry, and many other major dishes, or regional cuisines, have a tremendous number of variations. For example, I make Sonoroan and Texas chili that has no tomato sauce at all, as well as Cinncinati chili, and many other styles built on a tomato sauce base. They're entirely different dishes, and I present them with different side dishes and garnishments, with the results that at my house, a "chili" night can mean entirely different things.

For vegetables, cutting, chopping and fast steaming are good ways of getting past the chewing issues, without losing flavor or variety. But it also may be time to look over your collection of kitchen cutlery, cutting boards, and food processors, and toss, sharpen, replace as necessary. If you are going to be doing more preparation for months than you typically have been, might as well get equipped to do it easily and well.
posted by paulsc at 3:38 PM on October 26, 2006

If you want to make mashed potatoes more palatable, try blending them with a bit of cheese and salsa.

I know it sounds disgusting but it is surprisingly good.
posted by Megafly at 5:51 PM on October 26, 2006

Yogurt, yogurt, yogurt!
posted by Carol Anne at 5:52 PM on October 26, 2006

My dentist told me he'd had a temporary crown for years. Does your dining companion know for sure that serious chewing is out of the question?
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:53 PM on October 26, 2006

Chicken pot pie!
posted by solid-one-love at 6:07 PM on October 26, 2006

Temp cement doesn't mean you have to change your eating habits. It means that when the dentist goes to take it out they won't have as much problem with getting them off. There is no such thing as "it will never come off, no matter what" dental cement. If a cap is on with "permanent" a dentist might need to use a tap, but they will most likely still be able to get it off with relative ease.

Your partner should pretty much eat what he likes (beware salt water taffy, sticky gum, things like that). If he's paranoid about it, you can get some temp glue to keep on hand for emergencies, which is pretty much the exact same thing the dentist uses (or so my dentist told me) to hold it on until he can get into the actual dentist. You can pick it up at most pharmacies, it should be in the same area as the toothache solutions and such. (Brand name that springs to mind is "Den-Temp")

I've been eating with a temporary crown-bridge, with "temp" cement, for months. With no problems. Ditto every other crown I have, temporary or permanent. I've had cement come loose, but that seems to be a matter of time as much as stress on the tooth/cap/cement.

Also - when in doubt consult with your dentist. :)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 7:58 PM on October 26, 2006

Chicken tikka masala - but instead of chicken, use silken tofu (add it later than you would the chicken). May not be necessary, if the other answers here work for you, but certainly interesting.
posted by amtho at 5:00 AM on October 27, 2006

Mince and Tatties!
posted by utsutsu at 7:27 AM on October 27, 2006

Squash Soup ... although you can make it so it isn't too soupy.
posted by jasonspaceman at 9:37 AM on October 27, 2006

Mmmm...vegetarian chilli...
posted by radioamy at 11:53 AM on October 27, 2006