Any favorites or standbys? The patient is ideally supposed to have a pure blender diet for 3 weeks or more. This isn’t about losing weight or detoxing; it’s about getting a maximum of nutrition with a minimum of chewing, and a minimum of ice cream shakes.
And hopefully a minimum of revolting Rosemary’s Baby-type concoctions too; the patient is very picky which is why an all-ice-cream diet is a real possibly to try and avoid.
Cream soups would be the standby I would go with. Greek yogurt, ditto. Are pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs available? When I was recovering from a severe throat infection, I drank a lot of eggnog made by blending a raw egg, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg.
Can the patient mash anything with the tongue against the palate? If so, there are more options open, including canned chili.
When I had my jaw surgery, my ex made shakes with whey protein, full-fat yogurt, frozen fruit, milk, peanut butter, ice cream, etc. Basically anything with lots of fat and calories to keep the weight on. Also, the mouthwash and meds they gave me completely killed my tastebuds (and my appetite) for the entire 2 week process, so I just drank whatever he put in front of me.
My dad had his jaw wired shut for a while, one of his favorite concoctions was to dump Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese soup in a blender with a slice or two of ham or Canadian Bacon added. Blend it until the ham is reduced to crumbs that are small enough to swallow. Then follow the can’s directions to heat ‘n’ eat.
I love these. This can work. Unfortunately I can’t find pasteurized eggs anywhere in the area (Whole Foods mentions them on their website, but I can’t find them in the store). That’s one of the reasons I’ve wanted a countertop sous vide. Has anybody used Egg Beaters?
That sounds particularly tasty, thanks.
I have, though as part of cooking. I’ve found that whole-egg variety tends to have a slightly oniony taste to me, though that could just be me. I don’t get that with the egg white variety.
My brother was wired shut for 6 weeks 20-some years ago after breaking his jaw. He did a lot of milkshakes and malteds. Not the healthiest, but he was just trying to get some calories in. Weight wasn’t a concern just then.
i’ve made chocolate pudding with silken tofu, but I imagine silken tofu would be adaptible to all sorts of flavors, while still being mushy and having some pretty solid nutritional value.
A few tips:
Get some “Milkshake” straws. The “Bubble Tea” straws will be too thick if the jaw is wired, but the milkshake ones work, and allow for a slightly thicker consistency.
If it’s going to be more than 3 weeks, I’d recommend one of these. I got one to make babyfood for Celtling and it was a lifesaver. If you’re not squeamish, a lot of people give them to second-hand shops when the baby starts chewing. They sell them for $10 or less.
Either make a bunch of chicken and beef broth in advance, or buy it in the resealable boxes. Using this to add liquid when blending will keep blended foods from tasting watery.
Cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots are all amazing when roasted at high temps. Even better if you stick them in the roasting pan under a chicken, turkey, or beef roast to catch the drippings. Blend on high with a complimentary broth to right consistency. The meat can also be blended with broth. Freeze some in ziplocks for future use.
Blend roasted carrots with chicken broth and a little ginger, with a sprinkling of savory or nutmeg. This works equally with any cooked squash (but especially baked acorn squash.)
Steamed peas are surprisingly good when blended. Add salt, pepper, a dusting of thyme and a bit of melted butter/cream to blend.
Chobani yogurt is high protein and has almost no sour-yogurt taste to it. It’s great for blending into foods for a protein kick. Put any piece of fruit with a complimentary yogurt flavor into the blender and the patient will think it’s dessert.
Six Star brand Whey proteinis my favorite. It doesn’t have any sour or fishy taste, and is very highly concentrated protein. Ge tthe triple chocolate and blend it up with a banana. . .
Hope that helps!
As another member of the “jaw wired shut” club, I lived off of Carnation Instant Breakfast (for breakfast, obviously) and packets of instant mashed potatoes. Get all different flavors of mashed potatoes (garlic, cheddar, etc.) to alleviate some of the repetition. It takes just a few minutes to make and is pretty good when you are starving for some normal type food. I still get a hankering for those mashed potatoes even tough it’s been years since my surgery.
It sucks, but it’s only for a few weeks. The patient will lose weight. It will be waiting for him/her as soon as they can chew again.