Question:
Any suggestions on what I can eat on a soft/pureed diet?

Hi! I am 14 days post op today and have absolutely no appetite. I am on soft/pureed diet and I am trying to get my protein in. To make matters worse I am a very picky eater (you would think that I would weight 100lbs with everything I do not like). I only like tunafish and eggs and I am getting so sick of them. There are days where I only drink water. Can't get enough water though. Any suggestions on what I can eat? Thanks!!    — tracyr (posted on January 21, 2002)

January 21, 2002
I only like eggs and tuna myself. I'd like to know what you find out. I love pea soup I heard that was good too.I'll be looking for postings.
   — Elizabeth P.

January 21, 2002
I WAS LUCKY I COULD EAT PUDDINGS LOWFAT,YOUGURTS ,CREAM SOUP.BLED FRUITS IN THEIR JUICES.COOKED CERAL LIKE CREAM OF WHEAT WHIPED POTATOES.I NEVER HAVE DUMPED ON SWEETS SO IF YOU CAN EAT THESE EAT THEM SLOWLY AND SM. AMOUNTS.GOOD LUCK NANCY M.
   — NANCY M.

January 21, 2002
cottage cheese, u can add pureed fruit like fresh strawberries or bananas, yogurt, again with pureed fruit, oatmeal, with fruit if u like. cheese soups, cream of whatever u like soups. i realize u say u r a very picky eater but u may find some of ur tastes have changed & u may enjoy some new foods u didnt before. the only other advice i can possibly give u is that u will have to acclamate ur taste buds to foods u didnt enjoy before because u can no longer fall back on the 'bad' foods to fill the 'empty' feeling. i was raised to eat whatever my mother put in front of me & i did & still do. but u do get tired of the same old thing. try different ways to prepare the foods u do enjoy. victoria bowen always posts wonderful recipes on the message board & i understand her cook book is a fantastic recipe source. use the internet to ur advantage. there r many great recipe sites. good luck hun.
   — sheryl titone

January 21, 2002
Here is what mydietician told me: Stage Two: Full Liquids: Stay in this stage for up to two weeks. You can keep eating the foods you already are eating, but start adding these foods in slowly until youare on Full Liquids the whole day. then move slowly into soft foods. High Protien shakes (make sure to get one that doesn't have sugar in it, for example, Twin Labs Whey protien mix Banana/Strawberry Supreme is really good, and actually tastes good! You can add a half of a pureed banana or pureed Strawberries to this to make is richer, if you want, but don't put more than one type of fruit in your shake at a time, it might make you dump -- make SURE you get at least 75 grams of protien a day!) Get creative with your shakes by getting a vanilla flavor and adding low acid orange juice or by adding crushed pinapple and pureeing it finer, then add a dash or two of coconut flavoring for a Pina Colada!! You are allowed to LOVE this change in eating habits! Skim milk, soy milk, sugar free pudding, (you can add dry milk to any of these to make it higher in protien), fat free no sugar added light yogurt without fruit pieces in it, sugar free or no sugar added fudgesicle, no sugar added carnation instant breakfast (you can add these to your protien shakes to make them more yummy!), hot cocoa (sugar free), coffee with dry milk to make it high in protien!, and a variety of Campbells cream soups, be sure to strain all the food pieces out or puree them into the soup before eating. Stage Three: Pureed Foods: Expect to Stay on this stage for up to a full two weeks also (a week to adjust, and a week to get confident) . Keep eating Stage one and two foods, just add these in until your tummy adjusts! Pureed foods are foods with a smooth, baby food consistency. BE SURE you blend, strain and puree everything before putting it in your mouth! Your tummy isn't ready for seeds or lumps yet! Mashed potatoes, unsweetenednatural applesauce, cream soups, baby foods (or puree any food that you would normally eat), soft scrambled eggs, cream of wheat, oatmeal, malt-o-meal, cottage cheese, cream of rice cereal, white rice cooked well in a cream soup, and pureed, etc. You can use any meat that you have baked, broiled or poached. When blending up meat, mix in a small serving of cooked cream of rice ceral and milk. It will make it easier to puree. Meats cooked in a crock pot puree easier. Stage Four: Soft foods: Stay on this stage for two weeks: Soft foods do not have any hard pieces such as nuts seeds, chunks or other solid or large pieces. Add only one new food item per day, so you can see if you can handle it. Make SURE you eat every three to four hours!! You can still eat the foods on the other lists, too! Toasted whole wheat breads, plain whole wheat crackers, cooked cerals without added fruits or nuts, plain whole grain dry cereals softened in milk, sugar free/low fat ice cream, limit your fats to olive or or canola oil, trans-fatty free margarine, low fat cream and cream substitutes, lowfat gravies, light whipped toppings, low sugar/ff salad dressing, Pam cooking sprays, low fat/ff mayo; canned or cooked chopped fruits without seed or skin and packed in their own juice, 100% fruit or veggie juice. Sample Menu: Breakfast -- 1/2 cup soft scrambled eggs, 1 slice of toasted whole wheat toast with "I can't believe it's not butter!" spray and 100% fruit spread. Take your vitamins!! Snack: 4-6 oz light yogurt Lunch: 12 cup tuna or chicken salad and 1/4 cup pineapple Snack: 1 oz of fat free or light cheese and 2 whole wheat crackers Dinner: 1/4 to 1/2 cup ground turkey, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup canned or cooked green beans. Take your vitamins!! Snack: 4-6 oz of sugar free/fat free pudding After two weeks of this, start adding in regular foods one at a time, making sure you chew your meats until they are almost liquified before swallowing them. Eat six small meals per day, eat slowly, chew completely, do not drink with meals, choose foods based on their nutritional content, exercise regularly, take your vitamins and make sure you meet your protien needs!!!! The better you are meeting your protien needs, the faster and more your weight will come off! Good Luck!! Let me know how you do!
   — Sharon H.

January 25, 2002
I had trouble with this one too and I started to blend everything. I loved blended chili. Also, campbells soup makes a terrific soup I found out about after surger, Creamy Chicken Noodle. I blend it to this day and I'm a year post op. I get about three servings out of one can. Just a thought, Good luck and God Bless! Hugs!
   — Toni K.