Soft food following surgery?
elphie754
Posts: 7,574 Member
I will be having emergent surgery this upcoming Monday, so I really haven't had much time to prepare. I was curious what kind of recommendations others have in regards to soft foods. For 3 days after surgery I can not have any extreme temperature foods (has to be room temp) and for about a week I will need to eat soft foods. My only food limitations are no wheat, barley or oat.
I had similar surgery 3 years ago so I know what to expect as far as eating (what I can tolerate) but back the. I wasn't trying to lose weight so I basically lived off mashed potatoes and split pea soup lol. Looking for other suggestions for some lower calorie options.
From now until surgery I am bed bound so I know my calorie out is less than normal. Just hoping that I can get through the next two weeks with out a gain (maintenance).
I had similar surgery 3 years ago so I know what to expect as far as eating (what I can tolerate) but back the. I wasn't trying to lose weight so I basically lived off mashed potatoes and split pea soup lol. Looking for other suggestions for some lower calorie options.
From now until surgery I am bed bound so I know my calorie out is less than normal. Just hoping that I can get through the next two weeks with out a gain (maintenance).
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Replies
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I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.0
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Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
I do have a nutribullet but someone how I don't think blended chicken, tomatoes and olives will be that great lol. On top of that, I'm not sure I trust my significant other to know how well blended things need to be lol. For now, I'm not even home so relying on a significant other to bring me my meals (stuck in ICU until surgery) but thankfully I can eat whatever I want right now but only in extremely small quantities in case things should get worse
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The nutribullet doesn't take long at all (1-2 minutes) to liquefy stuff. You could do soups (though for the chunky types I'd run it through the nutribullet). You could do mashed sweet potatoes (I like them baked then mashed as opposed to boiled), mashed cauliflower, malt o' meal (breakfast cereal), I wouldn't try to eat any meat, I'd do a protein shake instead). With it being a few days I wouldn't really worry about calories to much (I'd try to stay below maintence as opposed to a deficit), but you may find you have no appitite anyways.0
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Amanda4change wrote: »The nutribullet doesn't take long at all (1-2 minutes) to liquefy stuff. You could do soups (though for the chunky types I'd run it through the nutribullet). You could do mashed sweet potatoes (I like them baked then mashed as opposed to boiled), mashed cauliflower, malt o' meal (breakfast cereal), I wouldn't try to eat any meat, I'd do a protein shake instead). With it being a few days I wouldn't really worry about calories to much (I'd try to stay below maintence as opposed to a deficit), but you may find you have no appitite anyways.
Will certainly send her out for sweet potatoes lol. I've been slowly making out a grocery list of things her to get otherwise I'd likely end up eating pudding and Applesauce all week lol.
It's funny- two of the meds Im taking now make me hungry, and the other two make me nauseated or kill my appetite. Luckily they make me sleep more than anything so within about 10 minutes of taking them Im out for 3+ hours. The. I wake up starving lol.0 -
Any one else have any suggestions?0
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Honestly, just deal with it as it comes. You can make detailed plans now, but that all goes to hell when you're not physically well. You may find that you have no appetite post op and all your plans are for nought. Alternatively, you may be hungry. Do you really want to be laid up at home, in pain, chronically fatigued from illness AND hungry on top?
Make yourself well, recover, THEN get back into the calorie counting. At least, that's what I'd do.
Good luck OP!0 -
BTW if you want liquid diet suggestions: store bought pureed vegetable soups (ginger carrot, butternut squash, pumpkin curry, that sort of thing) is always quick, easy, cheap, and light on calories. Like, 100 cal/cup for many brands.0
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well one of my favorite snacks is peanut butter on a banana - it already pretty soft but you could mash the banana to make it even softer and just mix some creamy peanut butter in
yogurt, if you have a blender or food processor get some fruit you like, you can blend pretty much anything into a smootie type consistancy, can also mix some peanut butter or PB2 in here too (if your a pb freak like me)
canned tuna, mix with mayo like you would to put it on a sandwich, that goes down without really having to chew
could do the same idea with hard boiled eggs, make egg salad
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I called my stomach my "six month old baby" and re-introduced foods similarly. I had various cream soups as mentioned above. That and protein shakes. If I were you I wouldn't worry so much about the calorie content of the food. It might be trouble getting in enough calories at first.
Here in Canada we get the Gourmet Red Pepper and Black Bean soup, which I loved.
I had home-made popsicles made from Trop 50 and yogurt that were so very good.0 -
I had dental surgery as a teenager - lots of soup and yoghurt, and then introducing soft bread (I had the middle out of French bread) as my wounds started to heal. Mashed potato is a good one - you could also mash other vegetables.0
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Mashed Potato, Sweet Potato, Cauliflower
Yogurt (Greek or Regular)
Sugar Free Pudding or Regular depending on calorie allotment
Soups (Broth and Cream Based)
Protein Shakes and Smoothies
Nut Butters0 -
Protein shakes and smoothies are probably the easiest and the variations are endless. There are some good protein powders which are lower in calories but still high in protein. I like Cytosport (not Muscle Milk) and Costco carries it. The chocolate is 140 calories with 27 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar for one scoop. You could add PB2 to it, also.
I love sweet potatoes, too, so those mashed with a little cinnamon and butter should be awesome. Soups are easy, especially the smooth ones like cream of tomato, split pea or butternut squash. Jello, popsicles, ice cream, sorbets, sherbets, puddings, and custards are good for a sweet treat. Scrambled eggs, grits and Greek yogurt for breakfasts.
Could you also do canned peaches and pears? They are much softer than when they are raw. Applesauce. Mashed banana. Guacamole or mashed avocado. Cottage cheese.0 -
What about oatmeal? You could let it cool before eating it. When my high school boyfriend had jaw surgery after getting in a fight (idiot), my mom made this ham and bean soup and then blended it down for him and it was delicious. We all ate it for days. Good luck to you with your surgery btw.0
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BTW if you want liquid diet suggestions: store bought pureed vegetable soups (ginger carrot, butternut squash, pumpkin curry, that sort of thing) is always quick, easy, cheap, and light on calories. Like, 100 cal/cup for many brands.
Trader joe's has a lot of these kinds of soups. GL!
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Honestly, just deal with it as it comes. You can make detailed plans now, but that all goes to hell when you're not physically well. You may find that you have no appetite post op and all your plans are for nought. Alternatively, you may be hungry. Do you really want to be laid up at home, in pain, chronically fatigued from illness AND hungry on top?
Make yourself well, recover, THEN get back into the calorie counting. At least, that's what I'd do.
Good luck OP!
Other than from the surgery site, I won't be in pain or really "sick" either. Having a plan is how I deal with things to keep things less stressful.4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »well one of my favorite snacks is peanut butter on a banana - it already pretty soft but you could mash the banana to make it even softer and just mix some creamy peanut butter in
yogurt, if you have a blender or food processor get some fruit you like, you can blend pretty much anything into a smootie type consistancy, can also mix some peanut butter or PB2 in here too (if your a pb freak like me)
canned tuna, mix with mayo like you would to put it on a sandwich, that goes down without really having to chew
could do the same idea with hard boiled eggs, make egg salad
I don't eat pb2 (disgusting to me). I do love peanut butter but it will be too"sticky" for me to eat. I've also never like tuna or mayo (smell of both makes me gag for some reason).Protein shakes and smoothies are probably the easiest and the variations are endless. There are some good protein powders which are lower in calories but still high in protein. I like Cytosport (not Muscle Milk) and Costco carries it. The chocolate is 140 calories with 27 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar for one scoop. You could add PB2 to it, also.
I love sweet potatoes, too, so those mashed with a little cinnamon and butter should be awesome. Soups are easy, especially the smooth ones like cream of tomato, split pea or butternut squash. Jello, popsicles, ice cream, sorbets, sherbets, puddings, and custards are good for a sweet treat. Scrambled eggs, grits and Greek yogurt for breakfasts.
Could you also do canned peaches and pears? They are much softer than when they are raw. Applesauce. Mashed banana. Guacamole or mashed avocado. Cottage cheese.
Already stocked up on my greek yogurt, pudding and ice cream (when I'm allowed to have it). I think the 3 days of room temperature food is going to get to me more since that means no Ice cream.berlynnwall wrote: »What about oatmeal? You could let it cool before eating it. When my high school boyfriend had jaw surgery after getting in a fight (idiot), my mom made this ham and bean soup and then blended it down for him and it was delicious. We all ate it for days. Good luck to you with your surgery btw.
Nope. Said in op wheat, barley and oat are not options.
Thank you all for the suggestions.
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Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
Oh man! I have to go through a similar surgery later this summer, and I'm terrified of not eating enough and losing muscle. Most people say they lose about 15lbs after surgery. I'm planning on doing a lot of blended oatmeal with nut butters. I can't eat dairy, so I will be trying to add fats and nutrients to almond and soy milks
Do you all recommend nutribullet for this?
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Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
Oh man! I have to go through a similar surgery later this summer, and I'm terrified of not eating enough and losing muscle. Most people say they lose about 15lbs after surgery. I'm planning on doing a lot of blended oatmeal with nut butters. I can't eat dairy, so I will be trying to add fats and nutrients to almond and soy milks
Do you all recommend nutribullet for this?
I don't own one but my mom loves hers. She makes smoothies with spinach and kale and stuff and says it does a fantastic job of making them very smooth.0 -
Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
Oh man! I have to go through a similar surgery later this summer, and I'm terrified of not eating enough and losing muscle. Most people say they lose about 15lbs after surgery. I'm planning on doing a lot of blended oatmeal with nut butters. I can't eat dairy, so I will be trying to add fats and nutrients to almond and soy milks
Do you all recommend nutribullet for this?
A nutribullet is awesome.0 -
I've had surgery several times since I started weight loss. I tend to eat less as I am recovering, so it doesn't seem to matter if I am exactly on target in terms of the regular nutrition goals.
I tend to focus on protein and getting enough fluids. Greek yogurt and chicken soup are my go-to things. Chocolate pudding is a nice splurge too.0 -
Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
Oh man! I have to go through a similar surgery later this summer, and I'm terrified of not eating enough and losing muscle. Most people say they lose about 15lbs after surgery. I'm planning on doing a lot of blended oatmeal with nut butters. I can't eat dairy, so I will be trying to add fats and nutrients to almond and soy milks
Do you all recommend nutribullet for this?
I have a nutribullet and love it (I use it mostly for my protein shakes). Keep in mind my surgery was 25 years ago and the way they do things now have vastly improved (mine was a particularly difficult case as I had a massive maxi facial injury as a child that I had reconstructive surgery on, from a severe car accident when I was 4).
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Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
I do have a nutribullet but someone how I don't think blended chicken, tomatoes and olives will be that great lol. On top of that, I'm not sure I trust my significant other to know how well blended things need to be lol. For now, I'm not even home so relying on a significant other to bring me my meals (stuck in ICU until surgery) but thankfully I can eat whatever I want right now but only in extremely small quantities in case things should get worse.
When I had a dental issue, I cooked some chicken and rice in broth and put it in the blender. It was perfect.
What ever you normally eat --- put that in the nutribullet with some water or what ever fluid you might need. It will work.
Otherwise, eat yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, Gluten free bread pudding, steamed and blended/smashed cauliflower, pureed butter nut squash.
Soggy rice Chex cereal (it is Gluten/ wheat Free).
Buy a bunch of jarred baby food -- it is easy to transport.
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Amanda4change wrote: »I had TMJ surgery done as a teenager (they had to break my jaw, reset it and wire it), for 12 weeks I was on a liqued medical diet, then for 6 months I ate baby food (I couldn't chew at all, they finally realized there was a mistake during the first reset of my jaw and I had a second surgery (including breaking my jaw again) to fix it). Since it's only going to be a few days, my suggestion is get a blender (like the nutribullet) make what you normally would eat, add some water and liquefy it.
I do have a nutribullet but someone how I don't think blended chicken, tomatoes and olives will be that great lol. On top of that, I'm not sure I trust my significant other to know how well blended things need to be lol. For now, I'm not even home so relying on a significant other to bring me my meals (stuck in ICU until surgery) but thankfully I can eat whatever I want right now but only in extremely small quantities in case things should get worse.
When I had a dental issue, I cooked some chicken and rice in broth and put it in the blender. It was perfect.
What ever you normally eat --- put that in the nutribullet with some water or what ever fluid you might need. It will work.
Otherwise, eat yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, Gluten free bread pudding, steamed and blended/smashed cauliflower, pureed butter nut squash.
Soggy rice Chex cereal (it is Gluten/ wheat Free).
Buy a bunch of jarred baby food -- it is easy to transport.
I will be skipping out on the jarred baby food lol. Ive tried it once and just blaugh. My SO does plan on making a large pot of chicken soup and then blending it.
It looks like for the rest of the weekend I really won't be able to eat (doctor is putting my nothing by mouth for now) so I'm sure anything will appear appetizing next week lol.0
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