Food ideas?

[blueberry]

ok so reading this lurverly board everyday.. i have come to the conclusion chewing will be out of the question for the fist few days or maybe longer after getting braces on, and lots of you ladies are glad as you are losing weight. well i have a very slight build and before i had my daughter i was very thin!i love food but i just didnt seem to put on weight, my dads family are all waif so i guess thats where i get it from. But now i have a bit of weight on me and i love it! i lost the baby weight right away and i was really gutted i love being more squishy..so anyway my question is...
does anyone have any recipies or ideas of soft/ liquidy foods or smoothies i could make while im spongey/sore toothed to make sure i dont lose any weight or even put more on! any help would be very much appreciated as i struggle for meal ideas as it is without taking lovely crusty pizzaz and corn on the cob ect out of the equation.

thanks,
blueberryx

[candygrrrl]

Hi there.

Yes, eating can be a challenge. Doubly so if you also happen to have an expander in your mouth. The challenge for me is not only to eat enough calories to support my athletics, but also enough fiber – tough to do when you can't chew into bread, nuts or cereals.

The solution for me has been to smoothie most all my food. But no need to dirty a blender or food processor, either. Instead, buy one of those inexpensive handheld stick mixers – with it, you can do just about everything, including making smoothies and soups, with a fraction of the clean up. My favorite smoothie is: one banana, one cup milk, one cup vanilla yoghurt, a few strawberries. You can basically substitute any kind of fruit you want for this and it's delicious either way.

Soups are a cinch to make this way as well. I steam my veggies and/or lentils/peas, whip them up in a small pan with chicken broth, V-8 juice, roasted garlic, spices, etc. If I don't want to take the time to cook soup, I've found the best tasting are Campbell's Select (in the carton, not the can). The Tomato Basil and Squash are especially good. For more fiber, I soak whole wheat crackers in very hot soup.

Also easy to eat: scrambled eggs, refried beans (tons of fiber), whole wheat pancakes, mashed potatoes (leave the skins on), and sweet potatoes. Fruits can be tough, but I've managed ripe pears, bananas, mangoes and of course, avocados. Soft cheeses like brie are manageable, but if you've got an expander, stay away. They are impossible to eat because not only do they get stuck, they stay stuck! Same with the marshmallow in chocolate Easter Eggs

Hope this helps and best of luck!

[nimo]

Mashed potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese (you can mash up fruit to put in with it, very good). When you feel like eating something more solid, tortellini, potstickers...anything that is pasta-like, or is just generally soft. Hamburger is good because it's crumbly, and chicken can be tender and cut into small pieces to be cooked with, which is also good. The other day I had some deep-dish pizza that was plenty soft enough because the crust was really thick and not crispy at all (which is how I like it anyway). And for the times when you don't care about how much you weigh, Cinnabon is a good place to go.

Your teeth may not feel great when you get your metal, but you won't have to limit yourself as much as you think. Just be careful with anything you eat the first time.

[blueberry]

thank you both for your help i think ill be giving my poor little smoothie maker a run for its money! ive looked through all them websites and i think im set now, i love omlette so im guessing the cheese will wrap around the wires and stuff but where theres a will theres a way. Ill just have to eat and eat before april to get my stores up (thats just an excuse to be even more of a pig!)
im really getting excited now i just want it to be april already!
heres to feasting!
blue

[ingyandbert]

Since you're trying to put weight on, I'd suggest lots of milkshakes. Along with the fat and calories, you'll get some calcium and protein.