Food Question for the experts

Ok so I've learned in the few weeks of 'soft' foods that no matter how tender chicken is... I cannot eat it without something else on it.  Ex:  i can have chicken salad, I can have chicken fajitas with the onions and the cheese but i CANNOT have plain baked chicken no matter how tender.  I chew chew chew and every time it feels like a lead brick.  ICK.  So... question going to 'real' foods.  I know there is suppose to be a transition. 

Will that feeling ever go away?  Like when I'm 6 month out.  Am I pushing it to hard  (only because I really love baked chicken).  I have not attempted other meats yet.  Like Pork chops or steak.

Experiences and knowledge requested.  Thanks

Chicken STILL causes me a problem sometimes! My suggestion - always have it poached or with gravy or some kind of sauce. I am teh same way - no matter how much I chew it still sicks like a brick. Also try thighs instead of breasts - they stay moister.

Chicken gives lots of people problems, but as Liz suggested, thighs have more moisture in them and some people tolerate them better. 

Moisture is the key and sounds like you know to chew, chew and chew some more no matter what you put in your mouth.  Some times I have issues with Pork, can't eat overcooked anything and I still cannot tolerate Chopped beef, can eat a small piece of rare steak, but not a hamburger, unless it's turkey meat :( 

Good luck, you will find what works by trial and error.

Best wishes, Laureen

I'm 13 months out and still have issues with chicken breast. I eat a lot of chicken thighs though, and they're easy on my pouch.  I buy the boneless, skinless thighs and simmer them in diced tomatoes -- delicious!  I've also done the same with marinara, bbq sauce, and some lemon-herb sauce.  I can't say enough good things about the chicken thighs -- LOVE THEM!

I can tolerate chicken breast if I brine it first (learned that trick from watching Alton Brown on the Food channel -- more info on their website about brining).  I make a brine from ho****er, kosher salt, and some orange juice, and let the chicken soak in it for 4 to 8 hours.  Then I'll grill it for a few minutes on each side, then poach it in chicken stock.  It's time-consuming so I'll usually do 8 at a time and save them, but it's quite tasty so to me it's worth it.

Pork can also be very difficult, but I've found that pork loin cooked in the crockpot is juicy and tender. And I love steak, and eat it at least twice a week.  When I was early out, I'd grill it for a few minutes and then poach it in beef broth, but now if it's a good tender cut (like filet mignon/tenderloin) I can tolerate it just fine if it's grilled or broiled medium-rare.

Good luck with it!

I had a horrible time with meats until I was well over a year out - chicken, pork, beef - nothing seemed to be tender enough or juicy enough and would get stuck every time I tried to eat it. About the only meat I could tolerate was ground beef for a very long time, and even that had to have some type of sauce with it.

Take your time with meats - you can get plenty of protein from other sources until meats become your friend again. I'm about 20 months out from surgery and am still very careful with pork and beef, and even sometimes chicken - I tend to stay away from them when going out or at work, just in case they get stuck and I get the foamies.

I found a really good chicken product that is very moist and very easy on the pouch; Tyson Grilled Chicken strips.  Available bagged in the meat department.  The way that I have been using them this week is to put a serving in a bowl with a little bit of Ortega taco sauce and a little bit of shredded cheddar. Nuke it for a minute to melt the cheese and warm it up and I've got a nice little lunch loaded with protein. 

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 3 oz. Serving (84g)
Serv. Per container About 7
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat	1.5g	2%
Saturated Fat	0.5g	3%
Trans Fat	0g
Polyunsturated Fat	0 g
Monounsaturated Fat	1 g
Cholesterol	55mg	18%
Sodium	390mg	16%
Total Carbohydrate	3g	1%
Dietary Fiber	0g
Sugars	1g
Protein	19g	38%
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		0%
Calcium		0%
Iron		0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sometimes I can have plain chicken and sometimes I can't. I'm 4 months out. For some reason I have never had any problem with beef (except for a tough piece). DO NOT try pork chops if you can't do chicken. The only pork I can tolerate is crock pot pork. The crock pot was my best friend during my first "regular" food transition. Beef stew, chili, pork roast--very good.

Don't forget about eggs and cheese and beans! Refried beans with a little cheese is delicious

thanks everyone.  this was just the information i was looking for!  I'll make the adjustments and see how I do. 

Have you tried boiling a breast in boullion.  Thats what I do to make chicken salad, it makes it more moist and ups the flavor.