19 going on 15

My eating habits have recently changed due to me having braces for the first time. At age 19, I’m a little late to the party. In fact, I’m so late that the party is already over. Most people I know have had braces in their early high school years while I’m starting my third year of college and had only just gotten my braces yesterday. It's like I'm 19 going on 15! I try to make myself feel better about this by saying, “Hey, better late than never, right?”

Although it’s only been day two of having braces, it has affected my eating habits tremendously. Since I have a fast metabolism, I'm used to eating quite frequently. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be the case anymore. It's been extremely uncomfortable biting down on solid foods now. The pressure from biting down irritates my gums and makes my entire jaw sore. I’ve heard that the level of soreness and/or pain is different for everybody. For me, I get the most soreness after a meal. To make it easier for me to eat, I’ve been having foods that are soft and require minimal chewing. Aside from the obvious choices, such as liquids and soup, I've complied a list of yummy and nutritious foods that will probably be my go-to foods for the next few days. 

Porridge 

Oatmeal

Yogurt

Smoothies

Bananas

Avocados

String Cheese

Sweet Potatoes  

Mashed Potatoes

Mac n’ Cheese

Tofu
Noodles

Baked Salmon

Scrambled Eggs

Pudding