Comments on: Preparing softer foods for my partner and I

Question: Preparing softer foods for my partner and I

rhapsodie — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:06:09 -0800

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.

By: AuntLisa

AuntLisa — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:29:16 -0800

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.

By: Powerful Religious Baby

Powerful Religious Baby — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:29:49 -0800

Risotto and paella are both endlessly adaptable, and should certainly be soft enough for him to chew. Also delicious.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:30:18 -0800

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

By: paulsc

paulsc — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:38:29 -0800

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.

By: Megafly

Megafly — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:51:23 -0800

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.

By: Carol Anne

Carol Anne — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:52:05 -0800

Yogurt, yogurt, yogurt!

By: The corpse in the library

The corpse in the library — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:53:43 -0800

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?

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:07:57 -0800

Chicken pot pie!

By: Meep! Eek!

Meep! Eek! — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:58:58 -0800

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. :)

By: amtho

amtho — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 05:00:34 -0800

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.

By: utsutsu

utsutsu — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:27:40 -0800

Mince and Tatties!

By: jasonspaceman

jasonspaceman — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:37:53 -0800

Squash Soup ... although you can make it so it isn't too soupy.

By: radioamy

radioamy — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:53:28 -0800

Mmmm...vegetarian chilli...