- Raw, crispy vegetables
- Chips
- Crunchy cereal
- sub sandwiches
- crunch peanut butter
- sports bars
- corn on the cob
- steak, prime rib, pork chops (basically, all chewy meats)
- tacos
- whole apples (cut apple into very thin slices)
- most nuts
- popcorn
- gum
- licorice
- candy bars
- bacon
- hamburgers (as in hamburger sandwiches)
- crackers
- cookies
- pizza
- french bread
- granola bars
- most fast food
This may seem like a formidable list, but if you look at it very closely, you'll see that many of these foods aren't very good for you anyway. Many are loaded with preservatives, chemicals and high fructose corn syrup...or just plain sugar. Eliminating a lot of these foods (except for the vegetables) will actually be good for you.
The following is a list of foods you probably CAN eat:
- fish (all kinds, just not fried)
- cheeses
- beans
- lentils
- rice
- cottage cheese
- oatmeal type cereals
- most vegetables (cooked)
- many fruits
- eggs
- pastas
- soups galore
- olives
- raisins (cooked)
- pancakes, crepes
- muffins
- yogurt
- ground meats
- creamy peanut butter/nut butters
- ice cream!!
- desserts :)
- almost all meats slow-cooked in a crockpot
Now, not all of these items are healthful if eaten in large quantities, I'll admit. But most of them are healthful. Even the high carb items, like pancakes, aren't too bad if you don't drown them in syrup and eat a gigantic stack. Even pasta, a high carb food, is okay. Just don't eat a plateful.
Remember that most, not all, but most cases of TMJD will resolve given time and a softer diet. For good ideas on easy-to-cook, easy-to-chew recipes, check out You Can Conquer TMJ:Ideas and Recipes or One Pot Galley Gourmet, both available at amazon.com or http://www.rlcoffield.com/.
