Popcorn was my weakness, too. I tried to sneak a few pieces at the movies once—bad idea. Ended up spending half the night fishing out those little hulls and worrying I'd snapped something loose. After that, I just gave it up. Apples, though... I never got used to the cubes. I started making applesauce instead and honestly, it was way less hassle. Rice cakes never did it for me either—just tasted like crunchy cardboard.
Rice cakes never did it for me either—just tasted like crunchy cardboard.
Totally agree on the rice cakes. I tried to convince myself they were a “fun snack” but honestly, I’d rather gnaw on my own shoe. My downfall was caramel candies... thought I could just suck on them, but nope, got stuck and spent 20 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror with a toothpick. Ended up switching to pudding cups—zero excitement, but at least my braces survived.
Rice cakes are just sad, honestly. I tried the “put some peanut butter on it” trick, but then my ortho warned me about sticky stuff and that was the end of that experiment. I totally get what you mean about caramel candies—those things are basically dental traps. I lost a bracket to a rogue Milk Dud once and had to explain to my dentist that it wasn’t “technically” my fault. Not worth the stress or the extra appointment.
Pudding cups are fine, but after a while, they just taste like hospital food to me. I actually switched to Greek yogurt (the plain kind, since the flavored ones seem to cost double for half the protein). Sometimes I’ll toss in some bananas or berries if I want to feel fancy. It’s not exactly exciting, but at least it doesn’t break the bank or my braces.
Did anyone else have issues with popcorn? That was the one snack I really missed. Tried those “hulless” puffs, but they’re just weirdly chewy and kind of expensive for what you get. Ended up making air-popped corn and just picking out the softest bits... probably not ortho-approved but it kept me sane during movie nights.
Honestly, the biggest shock was how much more groceries cost when you’re trying to find soft foods that aren’t just sugar bombs or pre-packaged junk. Anyone figure out budget-friendly options that aren’t soup every night? I got tired of mashed potatoes real quick.
Totally with you on the grocery bill—soft foods get expensive fast. I started making big batches of lentil or chickpea salad (just cook them until really soft) and mixing in canned tuna or eggs. It’s super cheap, filling, and you can change up the flavors with different herbs or a squeeze of lemon. Also, scrambled eggs with spinach became a go-to when I was over mashed potatoes. Not thrilling, but at least it’s not soup every night.
