Question:
Does anyone have any pureed food recipies that are not dull and boring?

   — Katherine M. (posted on January 5, 2004)

January 4, 2004
puree is puree is puree !! I just pureed whatever I made my family to eat-
   — WABBIT F.

January 4, 2004
They are all dull and boring! I would do yourself a huge favor and get over the notion that food is yummy and pleasurable for a while. I don't mean to be harsh but this first 6 months is the only time that you have to change the way you feel about food and the way you think about it too. I have had to see food as fuel as opposed to some kind of good time. It does change over time and food is pleasurable again but I have also changed the way I see a portion and the way that I look forward to it. I no longer think about it as a treat or a reward or a crutch for that matter. Food now occurs to me when I am hungry and need some unlike before when I woiuld plan the next days food at bedtime. Please take advantage of these first 6 months and get off as much as you can because it will never be this easy to lose EVER again.
   — Carol S.

January 4, 2004
I agree with the others - puree is boring, but there are items out there which have better flavor. Old El Paso makes a low fat refried bean. Comes in a can. Put a few tablespoons on a dish, sprinkle with some cheddar cheese and melt in a micrwave - yum. You can even add a dolup of low fat sour cream.
   — M B.

January 5, 2004
I am only six weeks out and I had pork loin pureed and added BBQ. It was wonderful. I was afraid to try meat but this was my first and I will do it again. I also take a scrambled egg and add shreaded cheese and taco sauce. Try some immitation crab meat with fat-free may and purple onion with celery (very fine) add a few squirts of lemon juice and this is good. I just chew chew chew this one. I do not puree it. Taco bell pintos and cheese are also good. I also have had cream cheese and pureed crab meat and make it like a cheese ball. I have one ounce of this and 2 saltines and this is a meal. I am in the same boat so I will follow this thread to get ideas.
   — cookiedough

January 5, 2004
I had 3 life-saving foods I ate during the pureed stage. The first two were pre-made -- Campbell's Bean with Bacon Soup and Campbell's Split Pea Soup. I made them according to the can directions, heated them nice and hot, then mashed the heck out of them with a potato masher. I then put them in a fine mesh strainer and pressed just about all of it through with a large flat spoon. I tried pureeing things at first but found that the blender would put bubbles and froth into it and ruin the taste. When you mash this up and press it through the strainer, it is just like strained baby-food....minus the frothiness. The 3rd item was homemade cream of potato soup. I peeled, cubed and boiled a medium potato. While it was cooking I made a recipe of thin white sauce (other recipes can be found under *sauces* in just about any recipe/cook-book) by putting a Tbsp. of butter or margarine in a small saucepan and melting it. I then added a Tbsp. of flour and stirred it with a wooden spoon for a few seconds (it was very thick). Add a cup of skim milk, salt and pepper and boil on medium heat for 1 minute. Drain potatoes and add them to the white sauce. Again, mash with a potato masher and press through a strainer. This was my absolute favorite during my 2 weeks of pureed foods! I've been craving Campbell's Tomato Soup for 3 years (since we can't have it because of all the added corn syrup). I recently experimented and, oh my gosh, this tastes just like it! Take a small saucepan and pour in an 8 oz. can of any brand of tomato sauce. Add 1/2 C. of water, 2 Tbsp. of half-n-half or milk, and 1 and 1/2 tsp. of Splenda. Heat until just heated through and serve. Good luck to you!
   — Lynette B.

January 5, 2004
I tried to make my puree foods "fun". I think we can always enjoy our food; what we have to learn is to eat healthy. I would get Brunswick Stew from a local restaurant and puree it with a hand-held blender. ($10 at Wal-Mart). Since Brunswick Stew is cooked to almost a mush anyway, this extra pureeing did not alter the taste. <br> I also took cottage cheese and added a teaspoon (or 2, add to YOUR taste) of sugar free jello POWDER, mixed well. I especially liked this with the orange jello. You can also mix plain protein powder in this, making the protein count jump very high! I have also added in lite cool-whip to this, making it very "light" tasting, like one of those fluffy deserts. <br> Another favorite is V-8 Splash sugar free. To this I would add a scoop of unflavored protein powder. This was especially good for me because I had lots of trouble getting in my water at first. My dietician said to count any liquid as water as long as it was sugar free and caffine free and non-carbonated. <br> I found my puree stage to be a great learning experience. For the first time in my life, I ate slowly and learned to savor every bite. Foods have wonderful taste and textures, even pureed. I had just never taken the time to notice this before! <br> Experiment with spices and herbs...a lot of dull foods can become exotic with a dash of this or that! Even a sprinkle of splenda can liven up some foods. I love soups, so I would open a can of my favorite, heat it up, then eat just the broth...more tasty than "plain" broth, and yet not eating the rice and noodles that can lay like bricks in our pouches. <br> I was <b>never</b> hungry during my first 3-4 months, so using these little tricks would entice me to try to eat. So, just try and enjoy this stage and look forward to the next! Good luck on your journey. Linda lap rny 3/11/03 301/203
   — Linda S.

January 7, 2004
In my Pureed Stage..I pureed alot of the cream soups that Cambells has out and then put them throug a strainer. One thing I did try that was really good was pureed Italian beef sandwhich. I put in a blender the Italian beef with the juice, one of the sweet peppers and then just a corner of the french roll..not much at all...then blended away and I think I ate that for a week and loved it! I also ate alot of the Dannon Lite and Fit creamy yogurt. Good luck to you!
   — Beth K.

January 7, 2004
I don't believe pureed has to be bland. Puree som turkey with gravy,chicken breast with Campbell's cream of chicken soup at hand, like someone else said - pork tenderloin with BBQ sauce. Add seasonings and herbs to vegetables, puree fruit and add to yogurt. Just be creative! Avoid breads, pasta, noodles and rice early on as they tend to be too gooey at first.
   — koogy