Salad

Raw vegetables are often difficult to digest, so are not usually I cluded until at least 3 months out, even on very progressive/permissive plans like the one I had.  Right now you still need all of your pouch space for protein.  I would suggest finding some new proteins.  If you are missing the crunch of raw veggies, try taking turkey pepperoni slices and microwaving them for about 45 seconds.  They will be nice and crispy

Many people have very little trouble with beef, by the way. More people actually have trouble with pork and chicken.

Lora

Yes, beef is still easier than chicken or pork. And it seems counterintuitive, but ground meats are tougher than regular meat. Probably because they grind the tougher and more gristly cuts, but that's just a guess.

Yes, I think it is the cuts of meat that they grind.  I had no trouble with ground sirloin, but the first time I tried regular hamburger it was very hard to chew up properly and the. made me queasy.

Beef is one of the things I splurge on when eating out and grocery shopping.  A filet mignon is three meals for me still, and it is much easier to chew than something like a strip steak. 

The mantra of my plan is protein first.  If I still have room I can have the other things in the phase. I never have room for more than a bite or two of cooked veggies.  Salads never make the cut.

I had my surgery the same date as you and had my first salad when I was cleared for raw veggies at 6 weeks post-op (they recommended nothing stringy or chewy like celery though...I hate celery, so no loss there, hahaha). It had romaine lettuce, carrots, tofu, and some sugar-free Asian sesame dressing. I ate it very slowly and carefully and had no issues, but I haven't had issues with any foods yet, so your mileage may vary. Two weeks is how long my dietitian recommends waiting to try a new food again if it gives you a problem the first time you try it.