How to Eat when You Can't Chew
Talk to your doctor., Write up a meal plan., Go grocery shopping., Purchase appropriate kitchen tools.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk to your doctor.
Your doctor will be able to provide you with specific information regarding what restrictions you have with foods and what texture foods you need to consume (soft and mushy vs pureed liquids).
Your doctor should also provide you with a timeline of how long you need to follow a modified diet.
Ask your doctor to specify exactly what you can and cannot eat.
It's better to be very clear and get too much information than eat something that could cause pain or further injury.
Also ask if you're at risk for any nutrient deficiencies or if there are types of foods or groups of foods that you should be consuming daily or completely avoiding.
It may also be beneficial to see a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
These nutrition experts will be able to tailor a diet specifically for your issue and give you examples of types of foods or create a meal plan that's appropriate for you.
Ask your doctor for a recommendation. -
Step 2: Write up a meal plan.
Having a meal plan to follow will be helpful while you're consuming a modified or restricted diet.
It can help take the guesswork out of daily meal planning and give you the frame work for an appropriate diet.
Write up a week's worth of meals and snacks that are appropriate for your situation.
You may need to get creative with different recipes — especially if you're going to be on a modified diet for longer periods of time.
Sample meals for a soft diet can include: oatmeal for breakfast, beef stew for lunch and meatloaf with gravy and well-steamed broccoli for dinner.
Sample meals for a liquid or pureed diet can include: yogurt with pureed peaches for breakfast, a green smoothie (with milk, frozen fruit, spinach, and protein powder) for lunch, and black bean soup for dinner.
Your doctor may have a sample meal plan on hand.
Ask to see if you could have a copy to take home to mimic or start you off for a few days. , After you write up your meal plan and talk to your doctor, take a trip to the grocery store to stock up on appropriate foods for your diet.
Having the right foods on hand will make your modified diet a little bit easier to follow.
Remember, a variety of cooking techniques can be used to get even hard or dense foods to a texture that will be safe for you to consume.
For example, apples can be cooked down into applesauce or pureed apples that are easy to chew and swallow.
Also consider purchasing foods or items that are already in the form you need and require little to no cooking.
If you're only allowed to consume pureed foods or liquids you can buy: low-sodium soups like tomato soup, butternut squash or black bean soup that are completely smooth liquids.If you can consume more whole foods, but need them to be very soft or mushy, you can purchase: frozen fruits or vegetables (once cooked and warmed through, they are very soft and tender) or soups and stews from the grocery store hot bar. , Purchasing appropriate kitchen tools may make your modified or restricted diet easier to follow.
Plus, they'll give you more flexibility with your food choices so you can prepare more items at home.
A food processor is a great tool and can help break down tougher, denser foods into small pieces or into an almost pureed consistency.
You can use them to puree fruits or vegetables or finely chop protein foods (like seafood, chicken, or red meat).
This might be a good tool if you can have small, finely chopped food and don't necessarily need to puree everything.
Using a blender may be a good idea if you need completely pureed or liquid meals.
You can put a variety of foods into a blender to make liquid meals.
Blenders are also great because you can put a lot of raw or hard foods into shakes and smoothies.
For example, you can put raw spinach into a smoothie and the consistency will still be completely pureed.
A crock pot or slow cooker is a great tool for those who are looking to prepare foods to a very soft, mushy, or tender consistency.
These machines cook low and slow all day and foods are easily gummed or lightly chewed to be swallowed. -
Step 3: Go grocery shopping.
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Step 4: Purchase appropriate kitchen tools.
Detailed Guide
Your doctor will be able to provide you with specific information regarding what restrictions you have with foods and what texture foods you need to consume (soft and mushy vs pureed liquids).
Your doctor should also provide you with a timeline of how long you need to follow a modified diet.
Ask your doctor to specify exactly what you can and cannot eat.
It's better to be very clear and get too much information than eat something that could cause pain or further injury.
Also ask if you're at risk for any nutrient deficiencies or if there are types of foods or groups of foods that you should be consuming daily or completely avoiding.
It may also be beneficial to see a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
These nutrition experts will be able to tailor a diet specifically for your issue and give you examples of types of foods or create a meal plan that's appropriate for you.
Ask your doctor for a recommendation.
Having a meal plan to follow will be helpful while you're consuming a modified or restricted diet.
It can help take the guesswork out of daily meal planning and give you the frame work for an appropriate diet.
Write up a week's worth of meals and snacks that are appropriate for your situation.
You may need to get creative with different recipes — especially if you're going to be on a modified diet for longer periods of time.
Sample meals for a soft diet can include: oatmeal for breakfast, beef stew for lunch and meatloaf with gravy and well-steamed broccoli for dinner.
Sample meals for a liquid or pureed diet can include: yogurt with pureed peaches for breakfast, a green smoothie (with milk, frozen fruit, spinach, and protein powder) for lunch, and black bean soup for dinner.
Your doctor may have a sample meal plan on hand.
Ask to see if you could have a copy to take home to mimic or start you off for a few days. , After you write up your meal plan and talk to your doctor, take a trip to the grocery store to stock up on appropriate foods for your diet.
Having the right foods on hand will make your modified diet a little bit easier to follow.
Remember, a variety of cooking techniques can be used to get even hard or dense foods to a texture that will be safe for you to consume.
For example, apples can be cooked down into applesauce or pureed apples that are easy to chew and swallow.
Also consider purchasing foods or items that are already in the form you need and require little to no cooking.
If you're only allowed to consume pureed foods or liquids you can buy: low-sodium soups like tomato soup, butternut squash or black bean soup that are completely smooth liquids.If you can consume more whole foods, but need them to be very soft or mushy, you can purchase: frozen fruits or vegetables (once cooked and warmed through, they are very soft and tender) or soups and stews from the grocery store hot bar. , Purchasing appropriate kitchen tools may make your modified or restricted diet easier to follow.
Plus, they'll give you more flexibility with your food choices so you can prepare more items at home.
A food processor is a great tool and can help break down tougher, denser foods into small pieces or into an almost pureed consistency.
You can use them to puree fruits or vegetables or finely chop protein foods (like seafood, chicken, or red meat).
This might be a good tool if you can have small, finely chopped food and don't necessarily need to puree everything.
Using a blender may be a good idea if you need completely pureed or liquid meals.
You can put a variety of foods into a blender to make liquid meals.
Blenders are also great because you can put a lot of raw or hard foods into shakes and smoothies.
For example, you can put raw spinach into a smoothie and the consistency will still be completely pureed.
A crock pot or slow cooker is a great tool for those who are looking to prepare foods to a very soft, mushy, or tender consistency.
These machines cook low and slow all day and foods are easily gummed or lightly chewed to be swallowed.
About the Author
Abigail Taylor
A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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