Living without teeth, but with lots of food allergies has proven to be an interesting challenge. Carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pastas are fairly easy to cook in a method that leaves them soft and gumable. Vegetables can be steamed or cooked in various methods that leave them fairly soft and squishy. The most difficult thing to get large amounts of (for me) seems to be proteins. There is no easy solution like drinking protein beverages like Ensure. They all seem to be based off of milk protein, whey protein or nut proteins, all of which I am allergic to. Milk substitutes with protein also are limited to soy or nuts, again causing allergy conflicts. Cooked proteins like steaks, pork or grilled items are too hard of a texture to eat without help from a knife, blender or food processor. And the next doctor who tells me I just need to drink Ensure, will end up wearing one, grrr, because I hear that all the time. So I have struggled to find ways to get my protein, especially in the mornings, so I can start off the day with a good meal.

I have also found that I miss several of my favorite breakfast proteins, because they are hard to chew. Bacon is definitely on this list. I have not found a way that I can cook bacon with a texture that I can eat without teeth. Bacon always seems to end up crunchy or chewy (which is the correct order of things in the universe really). I have figured out that if I can chop bacon or my favorite sausages up, then I can eat some amount of them. My favorite protein rich breakfast has become scrambled eggs with chopped (really finely chopped) bacon or sausage cooked into them. I usually cook egg whites because I am sensitive to too much egg yolk (and my huskies are always happy to eat the unwanted yolks with their kibble). If I have time in the morning I can eat several scrambled egg whites with bacon or sausage chopped inside (I also add some parsley of other herbs for some color and flavor). Then I can add a serving of a soft cook sausage links or patties, chopped into small pieces that I can gum to death. Add some soft fruit like chopped strawberries, blueberries or raspberries and I have a pretty complete, and very high protein breakfast. If I have time I can add a piece of toast or a frozen waffle or toaster pastry to make this a complete breakfast (or the waffle or pastry can be taken to go if I am out the door early in the morning). Most of the proteins here can be made several days in advance so that it’s a quick job for the microwave in the morning (I just have to watch getting stuff to warm and letting the microwave dry out the food so much that I can’t eat it). It seems like extra work to think ahead about breakfasts, but I have discovered if I am working a long day, I may not get a long enough lunch break to actually eat anything in my toothless state. So having a good, hearty and filling breakfast is the best solution for me before I work an 8 hour photo event without a break. Viva breakfast!!