Question:
What are some good suggestions for the pureed stage as far as what to eat?

If anyone could present to me a format or timetable of what to eat and when, like a schedule for one day, just for an example of what to eat on the pureed phase of the diet, I would be so thankful.. I am so worried about getting my protein in, but scared of getting too much that will affect my kidneys... any suggestions??    — kathleen B. (posted on August 25, 2001)

August 25, 2001
Cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, scrambled egss with a little cheese, beans of any kind (refried are good and you can find fat free ones), soups, tuna salad, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed carrots. As far as a timetable, that should be up to you. Eat when you're hungry. Stop when no longer hungry (not when you're full) - you'll find that in about 10-15 minutes you'll feel full. If you eat until you're full, you'll be uncomfortably full in 10-15 minutes. One of the things you should be doing as you heal and go through the weight loss process is learn how to listen to your body and let it tell you when you're hungry, when you're full and what it needs.
   — Gina E.

October 18, 2001
Great ideas in prior response. Also, puree some microwaveable lunch cups from pork-n-bean aisle in your grocery. Such as, Dinty Moore's Beef Stew, Nalley's macaroni and cheese, ravioli, chicken & dumpling, turkey & dressing. I open can, puree it, put back in can & microwave it. Often have to thin it with additional water. If it is too thick, it "stuck" in my stomach and system for 12 hours making me feel uncomfortable. I kept it to thick gravy consistency (or applesauce consistency) and these were great. For the first 36 hours at home, I found that liquid or pre-pureed items helped me keep to a schedule. That meant liquid protein drink (one can or 2 powdered mixes from fast program). Pre-pureed items meant about 2 or 3 cans of baby food - cereal with fruit, chicken with fruit, peaches and pears. Those types of prepared foods only lasted 2 days for me, so it helped that we only bought about 5-6 items at most. For once, no waste!
   — Fiddi B.

October 18, 2001
Big, big help to me was bringing home about a dozen of the hospital 30cc plastic "pill cups". Those are 1 oz. Used them exclusively for the first 4-6 days to measure intake. Got tired of plastic and wanted to dine in style <grin> Looked in cupboards and pulled out every 1oz, 1.5 oz, and 2.5 oz jigger or espresso shot glass we had in the house. Those were great! Also, took the 3-4 smallest mixing bowls we had in a set of stacking mixing bowls. The tiniest held about 1 oz of food, and they went from 1oz to about 4 oz in size. These helped me portion out food at serving time, without having to really look. Many of our espresso shot glasses had lines for 1oz and 2oz. Soon easy to know what that meant when using tiny bowls. One more soup suggestion - I really liked pureeing some of the ready-made hearty soups such as Wolfgang Puck's Chicken and Egg Noodle. I would puree half for myself and share the other half with spouse for his lunch. My half lasted several meals, and I would sometimes use it as a chicken gravy over mashed potatoes.
   — Fiddi B.

April 10, 2002
I was on pureed food longer than normal and it wasn't until the end I finally figured out how to do it right. My favorites in the end were the Hormel Turkey Chili & Snow's Clam Chowder. I would heat it up and then put it in the blender and serve. If you are doing ok with dairy you can even add a bit of cheese to the chili for an extra treat.
   — Michelle Z.

March 25, 2003
Mashed potatoes add a little non-flavored protein powder, and a bit of sour cream. Yummmy! I also like unsweatened applesauce. Tomato soup is also a good one when you don't have time to cook, especially since you can get the new microwave cups from Campbells.
   — Tie C.