Question:
What EXACTLY is puree food?

I've heard people talking about "pureed" foods & I've also heard people say that it is the "type" of food, NOT how it is processed! (I hope!) I can't even think of eating "blenderized" meats & veggies! (babyfood! Yuck!!) Please tell me that I won't have to blenderize my food!    — Angela P. (posted on April 13, 2001)

April 13, 2001
From a purely dietetic view, "puree" is a consistency. Any food (meat, vegetable or fruit) can be pureed by cooking it until it is soft and passing it through a sieve, or using a blender/food processor until it is a creamy consistency with no chunks. Baby food generally has little nutritional value...it is a stepping-stone to teach infants to accept different flavors and textures...and is usually too bland for adult tastes. Every surgeon/nutritionist seems to have their own "formulas" for post-op diet and it is always best to follow your own surgeon's instructions. My surgeon's instructions for the 1st 3 weeks post-op were "full liquid diet, which includes pureed foods, cream of wheat, instant oatmeal, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, yogurt, blenderized soups/casseroles/meats (add broth), sugar-free Jello, sugar-free pudding, fruit smoothies, etc..." You might clarify with your surgeon if any or all of those items are permitted in the initial diet that he prescribes. The only things that I put in the blender were a few cans of chunky soup, some macaroni and cheese with a little extra milk added (Heaven!), and the fruit smoothies. Remember that (with an RNY) you will NOT be hungry and will only be able to take a few bites at a time...don't stock up on a lot of groceries :-)...the time passes quickly. I found it helpful to take the blended items and freeze them in ice cube trays...then you can just pop out what you know you will eat and not have multiple open cans cluttering up your refrigerator. In the big picture, a little processed food is such a small trade-off for the wonderful new life that awaits you :-) Good luck!
   — Diana T.