I didn't eat anything that required chewing for months after surgery. My puree phase was my longest and most enjoyable because I like that kind of "mouth feel," like you get from creamy soup or cereal, thick smoothies and frozen stuff.
When I did eat solid food like meat, I ate tiny bites and chewed at least 35 times every time. I actually enjoyed that because I really got to taste my food. Before, when I wolfed it down, I didn't get the flavor as strongly.
One other thing I did when I started solids was I bought dozens of different types of powdered sauce mixes, like you see in that one aisle in the grocery store. I could shake the powder on, or make a little sauce of it to accompany the meat or eggs or tofu. It was a real treat for me.
I like steak medium rare, so when I've had it post-op, I just cut it in thin strips and sort of suck the flavor out. If there's a lot of solid sinew left after that, I just tossed it. I did get a wad of meat stuck in my esophagus once and it took hours for it to move up or down. It was agony. So I use the "pre-chew" method and get all the flavor with none of the danger.
I remember being advised against meats like steak because of the danger of dumping. I only experienced dumping once, but man, did I get religion quick after that.
