Soft-food lunches don't have to be sad yogurt and soup

Soft-food lunch boxes for braces or dental work work best when you lean into naturally soft foods like yogurt, mashed beans, and well-cooked pasta instead of trying to make hard foods edible.

The trick is to stop thinking “I can’t chew this” and start thinking “what already mushes up without me doing anything?” Protein is the thing people usually miss — you don’t want to live on applesauce and Jell-O. Soft-scrambled eggs, tuna salad, hummus, mashed beans, tofu, and cottage cheese all travel well and keep you full. Pair that with something starchy: mashed potatoes, a thick soup, mac and cheese, or pasta that’s cooked a little past al dente. Then add something creamy for moisture — guacamole, plain yogurt, or even a little extra sauce.

Packing matters more than you’d think. Use a thermos for anything hot so you’re not microwaving lukewarm soup at your desk. Cut fruit like bananas or avocado into chunks you can squash with your tongue. Keep in mind that some “soft” foods are secretly traps: chewy bread, granola bars, or any of those little crunchy bits in salads. Also, soft cheese and deli meat are fine, but avoid anything sticky like caramel or taffy — that’s a dental appointment waiting to happen.

You don’t need special containers or a blender for every meal. Just pick foods that are already soft, pack them in a way that keeps them from turning into a paste, and you’ll eat fine.

The lunch may look a little babyish, but you’ll be back to crunchy stuff soon enough.