i got tired of eating the same old soft things too. now i've found that i can eat canned pinto beans and navy beans (great protein) if i add a little water to them while they are heating up. i am also able to eat about 1/2 portion of a lean cuisine salisbury steak dinner. the carrots in that go down real easy and so do the mashed potatoes if i have gravy on them. the salisbury steak is a little more difficult but if you cut it up in small pieces and cover it with gravy, then i goes down pretty easy too. the key is to take small bites and chew well. i can also eat bananas, canned peaches (the peaches are great with vanilla ice cream too!). oh, and just recently i started eating baked potatoes with lots of butter (i don't eat the skin though). although i am eating a wider variety of things, i don't think i am eating enough to sustain myself so i still drink several cans of ensure plus a day too. hope this helps.