Question:
How do you deal with the mental part of pureed foods?
I am 3 weeks post-op (open RNY) and am supposed to move to pureed foods today. The idea of it just grosses me out. Any suggestions? I know it's just mind over matter, but the thought of pureeing meat makes me want to gag. — Amy B. (posted on September 19, 2003)
September 19, 2003
Hi Amy,
I looked at my pureed food as an adventure. I looked for "fun"
and good things to eat. I love soups, so pureeing things like split pea
soup didn't change the taste at all. Cream soups are good if you strain
out the small pieces. Meats were (and still are) too dry for me if I don't
add liquids...another adventure! I would saute lean ground beef, puree it
a bit, then add it to broth (I think the swanson's in the box is the
best--good taste, low fat, doesn't taste like you tripped with the salt
shaker). I would put onion flakes in the broth for a bit more flavor--I
could tolerate onions from day one. I would puree a small slice of peach
or strawberries with cottage cheese (add some lite cool whip and you have a
great tasting desert type dish). Mashed potatoes are "pureed"
just from their nature. Carrots, green beans, pinto beans, and other
veggies that you can tolerate, can be cooked really tender to the point
they can be mashed to a puree state. Chili tastes fine pureed. I love
Brunswick stew, and I swear I liked it <i>better</i> pureed.
It will not be so bad as you think if you play around with it, and
remember, you STILL will not be able to hold much.
Another way to flavor up your cottage cheese is to sprinkle a small amount
of <b>dry</b> sugar free jello over it.
This too shall pass! Hugs, Linda
— Linda S.
September 19, 2003
If you like mashed potatoes, go to KFC, they are the best!! Also, refried
beans are good. I also like Gerber baby food (only the peaches) and
Campbells ready to serve tomato soup. Good luck! I'm 11 day's out and just
switched to pureed.
— Angela Q.
September 19, 2003
My surgeon had a great solution. Cut EVERYTHING into pencil eraser sized
bits or smaller then chew to death. He says you can puree in blender or by
mouth, which do you prefer?
— bob-haller
September 19, 2003
Bob---I love your response!
— Gia L.
September 19, 2003
I just didn't bother pureeing meats. I ate cheese, chewing it to death,
refried beans w/ melted cheese, tuna w/ mayo pureed or deli turkey pureed
w/ mayo and a few crackers, pureed chunbky soups (watch the sodium),
yogurt, cottage cheese, apple sauce, pudding, eggs and hoummous. I hated
the baby food meats when my son was young so I didn't dare try it post op.
Best of luck, and as Bob says, try being the human pureer!!!!!
— Fixnmyself
September 19, 2003
Hi, Amy, I am just over 2 months out... I wasn;t into pureeing either until
I ate something that hadn't been pureed enough! It was not pleasant, felt
like something big was stuck for good! Fortunately it worked itself out
and I didn't have to go in to the ER. Anyway, what I do is eat a lot of
omelets made of egg substitute, and with different fillings, all pureed. I
have them with cheese (of course), chili, seafood (salmon mostly), VERY
crumbled bacon, black beans, mushrooms, dried (but reconstituted) onions,
etc. It doesn't bother me when it is in an omelet.
— Tim W.
September 19, 2003
Amy- Like most posters, I was not going to puree meat in a blender. So,
for my protein, I ate cottage cheese, eggs, some chili and yogurt. As I
progressed, I moved on to chicken salad. The biggest issue for me,
however, was in wanting to try to minimize my carb intake as soon as I
could handle enough calories to sustain me. Good luck-- it truly is a
process of trial and error as lots of annoying post-operative issues will
alter your taste buds. But, in the end, it is all worthwhile!
— SteveColarossi
September 20, 2003
Hi. I am 2 1/2 weeks post-op and on the puree diet also. I'm not sure why
no one likes the idea of pureeing meat. I made pureed chicken and it's
great. It's just shredded chicken. I add gravy to it to make it moist. It's
actually good. I won't puree things until they are mush. I puree pineapples
so they are like pineapple sauce. I add some to my protein drink to make it
slushy. I have also been eating cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and sauce,
mashed potatoes and gravy, fruit, eggs, jello, pudding, and popsicles. I
bought tuna but haven't tried it yet. I don't think you really need to
blend everything as long as it is soft enough for you to chew to liquid.
Anyway, Good luck!!
— AmyWollet
September 20, 2003
NIX on the potatoes! Nothing but white starch high carb empty calories
there. Great solution: refried beans with cheese, high protein and very
digestible. Good luck!!!
— Deborah M.
September 20, 2003
my doctor told me tuna, CHEWED REAL WELL, fat free sandwich meat, cheese (
not melted) cottage cheese. I don't know if you doctor will say it is ok.
but i didn't have any problemif i hewed really good.
— spring A.
September 20, 2003
hi there..i agree with bob..lol..i just ate very very soft foods and chewed
it to death..and ate alot of soups..
— johanna F.
September 21, 2003
I am 6 wks post-op and cannot stand the idea of pureed foods. The thought
makes me gag. I did it once, egg with a little mayo, but I overate on the
egg, got sick, and now the thought makes me sick. I've been living on
protein shake, Chunky soups, chewing the heck out of little pieces of
chicken, and hoping for the best. 3 wks post-op I ended up back in the
hospital for 5 days, for a possible obstruction or kink. Hadn't been able
to keep anything down for 5 days b4 that, not even water! Of course I was
very dehydrated, but felt so much better after they put liquids back in me.
Then the doc wanted me start back on clear liquid diet. Did that for 1/2
week, then went to full liq, then to more or less pureed/soft foods. Can't
feel when I'm full yet, so I do sometimes get sick. Usually from eating too
fast or too much. Some days I have no appetite at all and feel a little
nauseous, and don't eat at all. I know that's bad but I can't help it.
311/265! Love the weight loss, but having a hard time with the journey.
— Marika M.
September 21, 2003
Pureed doesnt mean, baby food ick,,,, it means NO CHUNKS,try egg salad,
creamed spinach, ricotta cheese with marinara sauce.
— ~~Stacie~~
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