Question:
Hints or suggestions for pureed stage food for Christmas dinner?

I'm still in that lovely soft and mushy stage. I'm not really hungry, but my kids asked if I would please sit down with them at the dinner table to eat on Christmas day. (I've been doing my meals separately from them due to timing right now.) Suggestions on what to have with them? Merry Christmas!    — Mary Ann B. (posted on December 23, 2002)

December 23, 2002
Ah you have lots of choices, mashed potatroes and gravy, sweet potatoes, dark moist turkey cut into PENCIL ERASER sized bits with some gravy and chew to death. Applesauce and cranberry sauce, a bit of pumpkin pie filling. This early on I would avoid stuffing. You can eat almost anything you cut into pencil eraser sized bits and chew to liquid. Do try it I ate porterhouse steak at one month this way. My surgeon recomends this it makes us feel more normal. But eat just a tiny amount and stop before you full.
   — bob-haller

December 23, 2002
Use a saucer, a regular plate just looks so big and empty. Reassure others this volume is temporary. Later on you will eat about what other thin folks do. EAT SLOW, while they polish of platefulls you eat just a taste of stuff slowly and enjoy the family gathering. A nice slow relaxed meal iss good. Runny gravy helps stuff go down.
   — bob-haller

December 23, 2002
Everything that Bob Haller said!! Have a Sparkling Holiday!! ~CAE~
   — Mustang

December 23, 2002
I ate a lot of squash at that stage and it was yummy. Often I took yellow squash and onions and stewed them down to the soft mushy texture with salt and pepper. A lot of acorn squash is available in my area right now. Bake them in the oven with a little salt, pepper, onions until they are very, very tender and then eat them out of their shell like a baked potato. Yummy.
   — Cathy S.

December 23, 2002
I second everything Bob Haller said, with an emphasis on chew, chew, chew!!! I believe I read a posting of Bob's my first month post-op where he said his surgeon told him he could puree either with a blender or with his mouth (chewing). This saved me at my first summer picnic/party when I savored some well-simmered Italian beef and some watermelon. Merry Christmas! - Anna LAP RNY 7/3/02 -98lbs.
   — Anna L.

December 24, 2002
Those of you on puree or mush part of the journey don't let your brain get stuck in the boring mode. Here are some suggestions: Egg salad, tuna salad, the inside of a deviled crab with cocktail sauce, pintos and cheese from taco bell, mashed potatoes, soft cheese spreads, deviled ham, deviled chicken, whipped sweet potatoes, carrot souffle, spinich souffle, eggs-omlets, soft boiled scrambled, pureed fruits, pureed casseroles, I also found nancy's quiche appitizers (they are tiny and good). Just remember no chucks!!!! and chew ,chew, chew PS. don't swallow too fast :) Good luck on your journies!
   — ~~Stacie~~

December 24, 2002
Deviled eggs, homemade cream of mushroom or carrot soup, potatoes au gratin, baked apples on cottage or ricotta cheese with cinnamon, pureed pumpkin, sweet potato casserole, cheese fondue. Have fun!
   — C. C.

December 24, 2002
OK - I know my family is weird, but every year my mom makes meatloaf for Christmas and we love it! I'm only a week and a couple days post op and we had it today. It's soft and easy to chew and get down. She makes it with a cream of mushroom gravy instead of ketchup so that's less sugar.
   — Toni C.