Help us out: Liquid diet ideas needed!
My 18-year-old brother just had extensive jaw surgery done last week. It's been a much more difficult ordeal than any of us imagined and he has been extremely courageous through it all.
He's finally somewhat on the mend, but my family is struggling with finding food he can eat. Being a lean, active 18-year-old young man means that a few smoothies per day won't really cut it--especially because he has to be on a almost-liquid diet for eight weeks.
My sister is doing most of the food-preparation for him right now and she's running out of ideas so I promised her I'd post here and ask for input since you all are so good at coming up with creative and helpful suggestions.
Here's what Nathaniel can eat:
-liquids
-very soft foods
-juice
He is supposed to only be eating minimal milk products, he can't really have any citrus products, and he really needs protein. Oh, and my family has a Vitamix--if that helps give you any additional ideas.
My sister said she'd especially like to come up with a way to get some meat down him. She tried grinding up chicken in the Vitamix and adding a few other ingredients, but it had a really bad texture and wasn't the best tasting.
Ideas? Recipes? Suggestions? Feel free to email me with your input as well. Thank you so very much for helping us out!
He's finally somewhat on the mend, but my family is struggling with finding food he can eat. Being a lean, active 18-year-old young man means that a few smoothies per day won't really cut it--especially because he has to be on a almost-liquid diet for eight weeks.
My sister is doing most of the food-preparation for him right now and she's running out of ideas so I promised her I'd post here and ask for input since you all are so good at coming up with creative and helpful suggestions.
Here's what Nathaniel can eat:
-liquids
-very soft foods
-juice
He is supposed to only be eating minimal milk products, he can't really have any citrus products, and he really needs protein. Oh, and my family has a Vitamix--if that helps give you any additional ideas.
My sister said she'd especially like to come up with a way to get some meat down him. She tried grinding up chicken in the Vitamix and adding a few other ingredients, but it had a really bad texture and wasn't the best tasting.
Ideas? Recipes? Suggestions? Feel free to email me with your input as well. Thank you so very much for helping us out!
posted by Crystal Paine at 12:44 PM
57 Comments:
Well, they might have already tried these Ideas already, but I have a few to pass on. My sister's husband has had to have his jaw wired shut THREE times since they have been together. He is also a VERY active LEAN man without any weight to loose.
My sister purchased a high quality blender, but I have heard that stick blenders work very well, too. She found that the following worked well:
*Fruit... he really liked fruit because he said it "tasted right"
*Protein shakes
*Meal supplement drinks
*liquefied mashed potatoes and gravy... He had to drink EVERYTHING through a straw the first two times of this ordeal.
*She would add broth or other liquid to their meal and throw it in the blender... sometimes it worked sometimes he didn't like it... it was always worth a try.
*blend up soup
*BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!! If you have ever made homemade baby food you know how much you can blend! It looks weird, but you can get most anything smooth with a high quality blender.
*She made a lot of milk shakes and yogurt drinks, but you say he can't have a lot of dairy... Pudding is also something you can thin down.
*Veggies also blend up well....
*High quality protein shakes are key to getting enough protein!
My sister had to have her jaw wired shut once. She put everything in a blender...and I do mean everything.
If she wanted a hamburger..into the blender it went with a little beef broth. She said the texture wasn't the same but the flavor was. (no grilled however, then it just tasted burnt). She didn't start out like this, but by the end of 6 weeks, protein drinks and the like weren't doing it for her. She just blended whatever we were eating for dinner with the appropriate broth/water added.
Try adding raw eggs to a smoothie for some protein. If they are local and/or organic, you don't have to worry so much about salmanela (however you spell that).
Just an idea. I know some wouldn't be comfortable with that, but I did that when I was pregnant and going through morning sickness and needing protein,and my baby is healthy and beautiful.
Best of luck.
Adrienne
What about getting some of the baby food meats and mixing those in with other shakes. Also beef broth or chicken broth. That has to be so hard! I hope he heals quickly.
Is tuna salad not soft enough? I would just make a lot of pureed bean-based or cheese-based soups for protein that are blended like a bisque. Could he eat scrambled eggs? What about yogurt and cottage cheese? Sounds like it will be a challenging eight weeks! Will pray for him!
I'm assuming he needs meat because of the protein? What about mixing some protein powder into his smoothies? My husband uses a whey protein, since he works out almost every day. I'm not sure the 'whey' is permissable due to the dairy connection, but it might be something to check out. The brand Mike uses is called "Body Fortress." He says it tastes pretty good.
Any chance he could eat a soft-boiled egg if it was smooshed up really fine?
Crystal, here's a couple of ideas for your brother. Kombucha is an amazingly healing drink! At first he may not like the taste but after the first time for me, I was hooked! It has tons of nutrients in it and your sister can buy it raw from a health food store. I think the passionfruit one tastes best. The brand is Synergy. Also- Kefir, I know he can't have too much dairy, but he needs these probiotics to help him recover! Young coconut (white skin) has incredible healing proerties. All you need to do is cut a whole in it and drink the water out of it also, it has some nice "pudding" inside. He should definitely be getting lots of homemade stock made from animal bones so that he can get his protein from that. Also, Odwalla is very delicious although it looks awful and disgusting and it's a powerhouse of nutrients and vitamins. So there's my off the wall health nut ideas! :) Sarah
Tofu works great in smoothies and you never know it is there! Also some of my favorite soups are just veggies pureed in the blender with a little milk and cheese. Good combinations are potato and leek, or broccoli and carrots.
My daughter is having a hard time chewing for some reason and so we tend to "chop" alot of her food. I have a small food processor that I put small chunks of cooked chicken into it chops it without making it into ground mush. I like to make my chicken salad that way. You could even mix it with mashed potatoes. We do put spaghetti in the blender for her some times even (my husband is very afraid of her chocking on the meat.) I would say potato soups would be good too. I just made potato and brocoli and the recipe says to process it in the blender. I also have a recipe for asparagus and spinach with brown rice in it. Either of these you could add chicken for protein.
Hey Crystal!
Praying for Nathaniel and his healing. Could he have scrambled eggs? They could always be pureed after cooked (doesn't the sound most appetizing, but I bet they'll still taste the same, LOL). I make them with some cajun seasoning in them for a little kick.
Hmmm...what about smoothies of all varieties?
If he likes chili, you could also whip up a batch of that and puree it a bit. Sometimes I puree the cooked ground beef if I want it to be finer and less lumpy anyway.
Hope that helps and that you receive lots of great suggestions. :o)
When dh had his wisdom teeth pulled I pureed everything in the blender for him. Chicken soup works great if you have a stick blender just chop the chicken and veggies with it in the soup.
Try Boost or Ensure supplements-they are very high in protein.
Hummus is very soft and full of protein. It might be weird eating it without crunchy veggies or chips, but it's quite flavorful all on its own.
I've been through the "nearly liquid" diet before. Not fun!
One thing that I liked a lot were broths. Good quality homemade from bones and meat broths. Lots of protein and minerals in them too. Maybe some good soups made from the broths and then blended would work well.
I second the other people's idea about protein powder. And to limit dairy, he could also try things like soy yogurt, soy ice cream, etc. Coconut milk is also good for calories and can be thrown into smoothies and such instead of cow's milk. Scrambled eggs are great as well. And any veggie can be pureed (just like making homemade baby food).
Hot cereals would be good as well and stirring pureed fruit in will add nutrition. It's pretty easy to tast grains with good nutrients like millet and quinoa, grind in a vitamix or coffee grinder, and cook with water until the desired consistency.
Mary from Owlhaven once turned a bratwurst into slush for her son who broke his jaw: http://owlhaven.wordpress.com/2006/05/06/crimes-against-bratwurst/
Contact her!
How about pureed pea soup. Peas are a high protein food and a good source of potassium and the B-vitamins. We make ours in a crockpot simmered all day with a ham bone and then puree the peas with a little of the juice and heavy cream! So yummy!
She could try using a stick blender to blend up regular soups that he likes. Lentils blend great, and I would be that with a good quality blender that even chili would blend well. Just add extra broth...
A friend recently made us a kind of chili soup with boiled ground hamburger. Boiling the hamburger kind of pulverized it, making the chili creamy. I wonder if you could make soups or gravy with boiled meat. Chicken doesn't pulverize when boiled, but hamburger and some kinds of fish will. Ham, vegetable & bean soup tends to become creamy after long cooking times, requiring minimal blending.
A family favorite and very filling smoothie is a blended almond shake. We put 1 c. almonds in boiling water until the skins will pop off. Then throw in the vitamix with 14oz water, milk or yogurt. Blend on high until smooth & creamy. Add 1/2c coconut, 1 banana, 12 dates, 1TSP molasses, 2T honey, 1tsp vanilla and enough ice (or milk) to make 5c smoothie. For variety, add other fruits or flavorings. We have found the combination of fruits & nuts to be filling, especially when made with yogurt.
We have enjoyed some tasty cream soups lately, but they tend to be not very filling for active men. Praying he heals quickly!
RW
My son had cleft lip and palate surgery last year and had to go on a soft and liquid diet. We found the Campbell's soup at hand were great - some of them have more calories than others and some of them do have some meat. Protein Shakes (he was little so we used Pedia Sure), yogurt (dairy, so maybe not a great option), Cereals (like farina, cream of wheat etc.), pudding (also dairy), and applesauce
Hope your brother has a quick recovery!
Oh, I forgot to mention that we thinned down refried beans which was a great source of protein, too!
I have to second the comment(s) about protein shakes, especially whey, but other protein mixes are good too. My husband works out daily, and at varying times up to 3x daily depending on PT and his personal workout(s), and protein shakes are his mainstay. They aren't going to fulfill all of his nutritional needs of course, but they have plenty of protein which young men's bodies need for certain!
If he's really wanting "real" meat, I'd suggest baby food...sounds dumb to a young man I'm sure, but you can be assured that it's soft (in some cases pureed well enough to use a straw) and healthy, plus he can get fruit, cereals, meats, grains...I had to resort to this after having an oral surgery and getting braces a week and a half later - not that I couldn't open my mouth, but chewing was very uncomfortable. I found Carnation Instant Breakfast mixes handy then - they are a lot tastier than baby food plus you can mix them with milk and they have a lot of vitamins and nutrients.
I didn't read everyone elses's comments so someone might have already suggested this.
When my sisters and I had our wisdom teeth out my mom made mashed potatoes with tiny chunks of chicken and some gravy. It tasted so good!
I have put chili and all kinds of other soups through the blender. Chicken rice vegetable soup blends up pretty well. I cook from scratch without recipes, but I expect you do, too. I always puree broth and vegetables (onion, celery, garlic and cabbage) together to make a nice, thick stock for my soup anyway. Blendering again with the rest of the vegetables and the meat works well. You come up with some unappealing colors, but the taste is fine.
You can buy him whey protein isolate. It comes in a variety of flavors--vanilla, chocolate, banana, strawberry--and it is loaded with calories, protein and vitamins. My 16 year old body building son drinks two of these a day. He adds milk, bananas and frozen strawberries (using a blender). I expect you could substitute water or soy milk for the milk; maybe if you bought the strawberry or vanilla flavor you could mix it with orange juice.
Crystal,
Several ladies commented on Nathaniel having scrambled eggs... we like to add some sour cream in ours and sometimes we top them with grated cheddar cheese. I'm not that big on scrambled eggs by themselves, but I love them with the added sour cream and cheese!
Achaia
If you need a minimal dairy and soy there are rice protein shakes, we use metagenics products because of soy and dairy allergies. Maybe add nut butters to shakes too to up the protein levels. Mashed canned fruit like peaches and pears might add a little variety to his fruit instead of just applesauce. http://www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=217
Metagenics products can be ordered through illnessisoptional.com
Has she tried making a really thin chicken salad. Where I live, there is a restaurant that serves a really thing one that has been blended. I don't know how they get it to that thing of a consistancy. My guess is they use a lot of mayo and blend it for a long time. It is really the best chicken salad I have ever had.
Have to add another comment regarding trying baby food. We don't use it for our babies...but it had proven useful for such situations (although some is really yucky!).
~Jennifer
I agree with all the blending comments. THings can turn a yukky colour when blended but they are still tasty. you can get nearly anything very smooth but adding tiny amount of liquid at a time. Then it won't go too watery.
How about red lentils in things. They go really mushy when you cook them lots and add bulk. They can then be blended. Other pulses would do this too.
Homemade stock would be a good way to add flavour and a bit more protein to food.
Don't forget Avocados. They are packed with good fat and will mush down wonderfully. (They also go well mixed with banana.)
Hope he mends soon.
I would make a homemade soup with lots of broth. I would cook it longer then normal so the ingredients will be well done. Then puree in bleder. Maybe a bean and vegtable soup in beef or chicken broth. You might also try making your own refried beans and using extra liquid and puree them in the blender. I hope that helps.
Whey protein with milk make wonderful shakes!!! Add in fruit of his choice and it is very filling, yummy and gives lots of energy!! I've heard that whey protein combined with Soy milk is more filling than when it is mixed with regular milk.
Christy
I had a friend who had jaw surgery and had to have her jaw wired shut, which meant that she could only "eat" through a straw. She said she just threw all of her favorite foods in a food processor and ate them that way, sometimes with a little liquid (water, broth, juice) so it could go through a straw. She processed everything from slices of pizza, hamburger patties, fruit, etc. Nothing is going to taste great, but hopefully he can get the nutrients he needs.
Lots of good ideas already here but if you "Google" liquid diet, you'll get a lot more ideas. Like many of the rest, this is the voice of experience. My 60+ year old husband has braces and getting used to them was "interesting".
Elizabeth
Okay, I have no ideas for protein except protein shakes. But I do Weight Watchers and you are supposed to have some fat with them-about 2 tsp per day. The point is that a lot of people add it straight into a smoothie and you can't taste it. So, if he's losing weight, you could do this with any healthy oil. Although you might already know of this since they have a vitamix. Also, you can use instant jello to add flavor so that might give you some more flavor options. Just add a tbsp or two to it.
Darrell
I had to have my jaw wired shut when I was 13 and my mom blended everything for me. Basically whatever the rest of my family had, we tried blending it with a little liquid and it actually wasn't that bad. We did blueberry muffins with a little milk. It was actually pretty good!!! :o) One thing I really loved was Dinty Moore Beef stew, blended just a little to make it thinner, and I still got the protein from the meat and the great flavor from the stew. Hope this works for you!
In addition to the things already suggested, Tropical Traditions makes a creamed coconut product that's like a coconut concentrate. You can add water to make it the concentration of coconut milk (or make it more concentrated for more calories and nutrients) and then use that as a base for dairy-free smoothies.
Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and can be added to smoothies easily. Put some berries with seeds (raspberries, blackberries, etc.) in it so that he can tell himself that the wheat germ flakes are berry seeds. :)
Of course, wheat needs to be paired with something for a complete protein. Beans are good for that and easily made soft enough. You can make hummus, or you can make hummus-like recipes with other types of beans. We like pinto beans mashed with taco seasonings and ketchup here. We call it "Texas hummus".
The vitamix website might give you ideas for soups & cereals, etc. if you don't have their cookbook.
http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe_search.cgi
Hope he feels better soon~
:-)
I make an excellent soup. It happens to be blended because my husband doesn't like "lumps".
It's more of a process than a recipe, so adjust for your taste:
Take tons of veggies...Here is what I use
1/2 medium head of cabbage
1 onion
1 bell pepper
3 stalks of celery
5 carrots
and add any other veggies you like broccoli, cauliflower, squashes, etc
Cover with water and cook all of this about 45 minutes or so
Let cool and blend in Vitamix. If you have another blender, you have to let it cool completely.
Then return to the pot. At this point add 1 large can of tomato puree (less salt than sauce, btw) or tomato sauce, 2-3 bullion cubes, and spices. This is where it gets fun. For spicy add Cajun mix, for Italian add Italian Seasoning, etc. We usually add Italian. It is our favorite.
Before we began eating less meat, at this point I would also add 1 pound of cooked and drained ground turkey.
Also add 2-3 cups of cooked rice or barley. Since he's eating softer, you might want to consider adding small macaroni instead. The soup tastes great no matter what you add. You just need a starch to round out the flavor.
Let all of this cook 30 minutes or so and you have a delicious and nutritious soup.
My sister loves this with Parmesan cheese on top. That might give him some further calories.
I also had a thought, but it make me shudder a bit. What about canned spaghetti-o type stuff? If he's lean and growing, you have to get calories in him or he will be a skeleton when all of this is over!
Go to Trader Joe's and get their soy protein powder. Very high protein, you can hide the taste in a fruit smoothie, and it's way cheaper than comparable powders.
When I had mine done, I was told to use the blender on my regular food. Well, I'm here to say it was disgusting. Meat, potatos, broth, blended up into a shake? Ugh! I survived by drinking stuff like Boost and Ensure (you can get soy beverages). Also ice cream. I lost fifteen pounds, but I survived. He is not going to die from eating a liquid diet, and believe me he will gain the weight right back. He will also not be able to go right back on solid foods at eight weeks, so the process is more of a 3-4 month thing before he can eat normally again.
Really, it's just a trial and error thing.
Black bean soup is good pureed, and quite filling: black beans, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, canned tomatoes (you could leave them out if the acid is too much), cumin, coriander. You could use a beef stock or throw in some ham if you wanted to, for extra flavor and a bit more protein.
A green smoothie would be perfect for him! Since they have a Vitamix, they will be super easy to prepare. Just throw a handful of spinach, half a head of romaine, or a few kale leaves in the Vitamix with a 1/2 cup of water. Then add any fruits that he likes. Bananas really add a nice flavor an creaminess, so I usually put them in all of my smoothies. I also like to add apples, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, etc. Really any fruit works. Dark leafy greens have a lot of protein in them too. If more protien is needed, ground flax seed can be added to the smoothies. Or flax oil could be added to other things, like hot cereals. Can he eat oatmeal or cream of wheat?
HTH! :o)
Have Gretchen go onto the Vita Mix web site for LOTS of recipe ideas. I think soups would be the best thing for him......in fact, I just made soup in the Vita Mix tonight - broccoli cheese.
She can boil chicken in broth or make a soup from it, pour it into the VM and he'll have a great meal in no time flat. I love to do that, because Samuel - especially DOESN'T eat vegetables....so what do I do....I BLEND them up and he has no idea. Same with spaghetti sauce and pasta.....my kids love it. Orange juice??? Need a little kick with the protien???? Pour in the juice, add some raw carrots, toss in some protien powder (or what ever you like) add some ice cubes and blend. Oh, actually plain yogurt works great for protien in smoothies. If you can find raw milk yogurt (ask me where and I can pass on the place so your mom can get it) it is FAR better for him and that perhaps is why they said lay off dairy. With the complete protien in there, people can tolerate milk products MUCH better.
You could also make a tortilla soup for him. Very protein based and GREAT tasting all blended up.
Meats are easy....add broth and blend....but I would prefer them with vegetables myself.
Poor guy! There's a product called "Scandishake" (available from http://www.axcan.com/scandishake_us.php) that the nutritionist gave my husband when his protein levels were dangerously low due to illness. It is expensive, but very versatile; there are recipes on the website. After eight weeks, I would go for something like this that is specially designed to boost a person's protein levels in a hurry.
You can buy soy protein powder in bulk in some "health food" store bulk depts. It is great mixed with fruit smoothies.
I haven't gotten to read all the comments here so this may have already been mentioned, but perhaps a bisque-type soup could be made for him? If he can't really have dairy, maybe the creamy texture could be made with tofu, and meats (especially mild seafood) can taste very nice, even pureed, when they are warm and in a soup!
I hope he heals soon!!
Green smoothies are the BEST! Basically, you make a regular smoothie and add in a few cups of dark greens (like spinach, kale, or romaine). The smoothie tastes like a fruit smoothie and if you have a vitamix, its even better. Greens are a great source of protein that is well assimilated by the body. Green smoothies are DELICIOUS and full of protein, vitamins and minerals without adding additional powders.
Does he have access to a juicer? He can get 100% of all the vitamins, minerals, and protein by drinking loads and loads of fresh extracted raw juices- he just needs to juice a large amount of greens.
HTH!!
Crystal, I'll be praying for your brother.
My sister (who is now 18) had the same surgery about 2 years ago. I'd like to warn you about something. Tell him to be VERY careful about how much ibuprofen his doctors are putting him on. Also, watch how many dairy products he gets. Eight weeks of ibuprofen and milkshakes ended up giving my sister terrible ulcers. This caused her a lot of pain, discomfort, nausea, etc. We ended up using several natural remedies to heal the ulcers, but it took some doing. We had no warning.
Sarah would eat a lot of tomato soup, broth, jello water, mashed potatoes, yogurt, canned ravioli (these have really really soft meat. probably not the most healthy in most situations. but it was good for her to get a little protein), ramen, refried beans mixed with a little water.
I hope this helps!
When we have to feed patients in the hospital this way we have ground up meat in broth. Put the meat in a food processor and add broth a little at a time until desired consistency.
You can also puree soups.
Perhaps some protein powder shakes you can buy at the supermarket now to help with his protein intake. I have also noticed that bottled water is being made with added protein in some brands now. That might just help to keep the intake up without adding milk products. The other thing I can think of right now would be peanut butter and fruit shakes and meat baby food with some herbs and spices added to make it taste better. The baby food would get very expensive for a grown man though.
I haven't read the other comments - but I had jaw surgery myself about ten years ago.
I lived on blenderized food!
Some ideas:
* Mashed potatoes: use instant potatoes and make them thin
* Use baby food meat and blend with sour cream for stroganoff or with desired flavor for other tastes.
* Boil hot dog in water and put hot dog in blender with some of the water - funky texture, but same taste.
* Fruit smoothies
* Milk Shakes
* Broths
My dr. gave me a "cookbook" for liquified foods when I had my surgery - I don't still have it, but perhaps there is something online that would be a good resource.
I know that it sounds unusual to put these things in the blender - but the flavor still works if he can get past the smooth texture of everything.
I think that almond milk mixed with fruit would be great. Also soy milk mixed with (organic un-refined coconut oil), fruit,into a smoothie. Peanut butter,a nd chocolate soy milk is good as well with a little ice makes a yummy drink!
Also soups like pea, and carrot soup which I will be making soon to feed my freezer.
Just some ideas.
Renee:)
When my husband broke his jaw (before we were married), his mother liquefied things like spaghetti-o's in the blender and he drank them through a straw. I think that sounds disgusting, but he says it wasn't too bad.
Almond milk in place of dairy might help expand their options.
I'd think about the kinds of things that taste good as baby food and beef them up! :) Can she blend a tender beef stew enough? If not, I don't know much about these, but look into high calorie protein shakes to help him get enough in him. A great thing to add to all our diets is an essential fatty acid, such as *cold pressed* flaxseed oil or other *cold pressed* oils (olive, coconut, cod liver etc).
Just a few thoughts come to mind. I'm not much into protein shakes (as in, powdered protein- they are unnatural and not particular healthy as they are claimed to be).
However, here are a couple ideas (I also have a vitamix):
*soups with beans, homemade broth, and veggies- something like a blended black bean soup. Here's one that we like:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beezies-Black-Bean-Soup/Detail.aspx
*any kind of milk shake or smoothie they can think of (we love carob banana, triple berry, orange vanilla, raspberry peach and pina colada flavored smoothies)- use a nut or seed base instead of milk or yogurt, if needed
*"chocolate mouse"- my MIL found a great recipe, it's posted on her site:
http://lifestyleoflearning.blogspot.com/2008/02/chocolate-mousse-on-weight-loss-plan.html
*guacamole- avacados, lemon or lime juice, garlic, salt
*any kind of cream of vegetable soups, maybe reducing the dairy or using a dairy alternative
Hope he heals well and is able to get off this diet soon!
tofu smoothies. This can be as easy as strawberries and soft silken tofu in a blender, but you can put other things in too (cocoa powder and peanut butter together with tofu are delicious and non-dairy).
Honey!
While it isn't protein, it's full of calories and nutrients, and comes in many different flavors. Sampling honey made from different necters can really be quite tasty and filling! Furthermore, it could be blended with fruits or berries to create a sweet, delicious snack.
The boys and I often have Cinch Shakes from Shaklee. They come in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Cafe Late. My favorite is chocolate!
The Cinch Shake is a whole meal replacement.
Even more yummy when you add frozen fruit to it!
http://www.shaklee.net/toni
Best wishes for a fast healing!
Warmly,
Toni
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