Diddo on the chili...Wendy's chili was approved blended up during my first two weeks. Its my fast food...goes down very well even now unblended.

 DO you eat seafood? it has alot of protein and goes down really easy. I eat shrimp like 4-5 times a week for lunch or breakfast. 

As for meat ya the crockpot is your best friend. Meats come out so moist. one of the families favorites is brozen chicken breasts and a can of nacho cheese soup. I cook it all day then shredd it. I just have it with some veggies and the kids and hubby have it over rice or noodles. Moist and super tastey. 

I'm only 5 months out from surgery and I've been eating beef for a month or so. I just buy really good (tender) cuts of steak and cook them slowly so they don't get tough. I also cut the meat up into very, very tiny pieces and chew carefully. Haven't had a problem with it at all.

My tip, don't eat it for awhile.  Everyone is different of course but I have found it is much to hard for me.  I have tried it several different ways and each time I feel horrible.  I have decided to wait a good while before I try it again.  I have been sticking to seafood the most.  Good luck.

A slow cooker is your best friend.

I agree, crockpot is the way to go.

Im 15 months out and beef/pork/even chicken gives me issues... I mainly keep it at seafood. I can eat about 2 shrimp cut up at a time. When I DO eat those denser meats, I MUST have some sort of sauce with it... be it bbq, jerk or any other marinade.

 I never heard about the no red meat until several months out, but I wish I had.  I am at the puree stage and I have tolerated tuna, chicken, etc.   I put a roast in the crockpot yesterday with some veggies and cooked it until it fell apart.  Then I blended it.  It tasted wonderful.......and then it tried to kill me.  My stomach has hurt so bad, I was nauseated  and I have been so uncomfortable all day, I thought I had really messed something up!  I spoke with several of my WLS friends and they identified the problem of the meat so early.  As the day has passed I am starting to feel better, but havent been able to get anything down all day.   So, it will be quite a while before I try red meat again!!!

What about tuna salad, chicken salad or ham salad for a change of pace made with "light" mayo....

I am coming up in six months out.  Pre-op, I could handle chicken without a problem but beef sat too heavy.  Post-op I can eat a hamburger (no bun) but chicken will not stay down.  Its frustrating.  Fish is my favorite.