I'm getting braces in a couple of weeks. My orthodontist gave me a booklet about what to eat when my mouth hurts and there's not much I can eat (I'm vegan). What do you suggest?

• Soy yogurt
• Mashed potatoes (make these easily by microwaving a potato, removing the peel, mashing it with a fork, adding unsweetened soymilk until it's a consistency you can eat, and flavoring it with soy margarine and salt and pepper to taste. Try this same idea with a sweet potato.
• Applesauce
• Canned peaches or pears
• Smoothie made with soymilk, silken tofu, soft fruit (like berries), and frozen bananas. You can add maple syrup or another sweetener or peanut butter to taste. See what flavor you can invent!
• Soups – try Amy's canned soups or homemade lentil, vegetable, or other soup. Many non-veg soup recipes can be adjusted to use vegetable broth or stock in place of animal broth, soymilk in place of cow's milk, and beans or tofu cubes in place of meat.
• Soft pasta or couscous
• Scrambled tofu
• Hummus or other bean dips (eat with a spoon instead of dipping crackers or raw veggies until your mouth feels better)
• Refried beans
• Vegetarian baked beans
• Oatmeal or other hot cereal
• Juice pops (freeze juice in small cups with a popsicle stick holder)
• Frozen desserts
• Pudding – look for a simple pudding recipe where you can substitute soy or rice milk for cow's milk; instant pudding mix does not seem to work with soymilk
• Fruit or vegetable juice
• Ramen noodles (look for a brand without animal-ingredients). Add small cubes of tofu and/or frozen mixed vegetables to the cooking water.

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

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