# What to fix for someone who can't chew?



## sparrowgrass (Jul 23, 2008)

A friend's mom has had cancer surgery that removed part of her tongue and jaw.  She can't chew and has trouble swallowing.

She is tired of potatoes and gravy--any other suggestions?  Right now, she is drinking some Ensure, eating ice cream, and pureed or mashed fruits and veggies.  She needs high calorie, nutrient dense food.


----------



## DramaQueen (Jul 23, 2008)

*There are jillons of recipes for soups that can be pureed and swallowed without chewing, especially cream soups. They contain all the nutrients like veggies, broth, milk, etc. Soft boiled eggs that can be mashed with a fork, just plain creamed or buttered vegetables that can be run through a blender; ice cream, milk shakes; oatmeal, grits and cooked cereals for breakfast. Polenta with different gravies or sauces. These are all meals that  she can "drink" or can be eaten with very little jaw movement. *

*You might want to google "recipes for soft food diet" and see what you get. Ensure or Boost should still stay on her diet since they are loaded with nutrients and meant for people on soft diets. *

*Your friend has my sympathy. That kind of surgery is so hard on people. Good luck. *


----------



## VeraBlue (Jul 23, 2008)

I'd be interested in giving you assistance, but I'm not sure what her capabilities are.  She has teeth enough to chew, yes?  Won't anything chewed and chewed and chewed enough eventually be the consistency of potatoes?

Foods such as beans, tofu, eggs, certain cheeses...


----------



## Barbara (Jul 23, 2008)

Pick up some protein drinks to have on hand Boost or Ensure. Good for something quick. make sure you chill them first, they taste better.


----------



## Robo410 (Jul 23, 2008)

soft scrambled eggs with cheese, sloppy joe type bbq over potato makes a shepperds pie kind of thing, many soups-tomato, split pea, potato, (with brocolli pureed) red lentil, chicken n dumplings (noodle type), baked eggplant (skinned) tomato sauce and cheese, poached flounder or tilapia can be very soft.


----------



## bethzaring (Jul 23, 2008)

milk shakes, baked custard, cottage cheese, apple sauce

has she had a swallowing evaluation completed?  That would show what consistency foods she can best tolerate.


----------



## sparrowgrass (Jul 23, 2008)

She lost part of her jaw, so there is no chewing.  She has had a swallowing evaluation.

I guess what my friend is looking for is something new, because her mom is losing weight, enough weight so that the doctor is even thinking about reinstalling the stomach tube that she had immediately after surgery.  

(Could be that the poor old lady is depressed, too.  Me, when I am depressed, I eat, but Elsie stops eating.)


----------



## VeraBlue (Jul 23, 2008)

Sounds like the hospital should recommend a dietician.  Surviving cancer is a great relief, I'm sure, but quality of life has to be considered as part of the survival.  A medical professional should evaluate her mental condition because depression is treatable.  Then, another professional should make healthy food suggestions that are doable for the patient.  Finally, a third professional should be working to retrain what is left of the swallowing muscles and tongue so she can improve her quality of life.


----------



## quicksilver (Jul 23, 2008)

Oh, that poor woman. Without part of her tongue, you lose you tastebuds. What would make you want to eat?
The only things I could add are puddings, and yogurts.

Good luck, and God bless her.
​


----------



## jpmcgrew (Jul 23, 2008)

Perhaps some pate, liverwurst or braunsweiger in small amounts on its own. If you really want to give her high fat super nutritious and delicious food, google recipes on straight up bone marrow. I kid you not it's some good stuff that you can incorporate into soups as well especially in a really strong beef broth add a few croutons or saltine crackers and let disolve into broth. Maybe some really soft cooked poached eggs mashed with a fork and some Hollandaise sauce. If she likes beer ( liquid bread) a bottle or two a day might be good. Smoothies or milk shakes mixed with a really good high protein powder like Tigers Milk or Spirutein. Bread pudding softened with milk, cream or 1/2 and 1/2. Really soft cooked oatmeal with cinnamon and apple sauce. What I think is she needs some good carbohydrates so maybe a decent soft wheat bread or saltine crackers dunked in milk or gravy soaked to get it really soft and mushy. Cheese souffle. Melted brie. Any canned or homemade smooth soup with crackers soaked enough to dissolve.


----------



## Loprraine (Jul 23, 2008)

> Sounds like the hospital should recommend a dietician.



That was my first thought.  Homemade smoothies once a day can be a great source of all kinds of things for her.  Good luck!


----------



## bethzaring (Jul 23, 2008)

I guarantee you a Registered Dietitian is involved in this woman's care, as evidenced by the procurement of a swallowing eval and the placement of the feeding tube. An RD would have been involved pre and post operation.  I feel we are dealing with a devastated daughter who is grappling with her critically ill mother.  I assure you the RD is looking at the weight loss and is probably the person who is recommending the use of the feeding tube again.  

I feel for this daughter and hope the best for her mother.


----------



## sparrowgrass (Jul 24, 2008)

Beth is right--there have been consults with an RD.

The more I talk to my friend, the more I think Beth has hit the nail on the head.  I think the weight loss is due more to depression than anything else.  The lady has been offered an antidepressant, and stopped taking it after a week because she didn't like the way it made her feel.

My friend and her mother have always had a prickly relationship, and I really think a lot of this is just personality conflicts, compounded by illness.  I feel bad for both of them.

I have passed on your ideas, but an awful lot so them are turned down right away--"oh, she wouldn't eat that".


----------



## simplicity (Jul 24, 2008)

VeraBlue said:


> Sounds like the hospital should recommend a dietician. Surviving cancer is a great relief, I'm sure, but quality of life has to be considered as part of the survival. A medical professional should evaluate her mental condition because depression is treatable. Then, another professional should make healthy food suggestions that are doable for the patient. Finally, a third professional should be working to retrain what is left of the swallowing muscles and tongue so she can improve her quality of life.


 
VeraBlue is right. These are critical issues. We can offer suggestions, but we are a bunch of amatuers in this respect. At the very least the doctor should write a prescription for a dietician. 

Further tests can track the ability of her muscles to swallow. This problem is sometimes seen in Parkinson's patients as well. They have developed a variety of methods to deal with it.

And yes, depression can be dealt with. Who among us would not be depressed under the circumstances?

Good luck!


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 24, 2008)

sparrowgrass said:


> I have passed on your ideas, but an awful lot so them are turned down right away--"oh, she wouldn't eat that".



That's really a shame. The daughter should let her mother decide what she would or wouldn't eat.

Also, there are lots of anti-depressants available and they're not one-size fits all; if one doesn't work for her, she should return to the health-care provider who prescribed it and try another till she finds something that does.


----------



## luvs (Jul 24, 2008)

smoothies of fruit & whippingcream, maybe. they're delish. maybe try mango/peach/strawberry/blueberry/.
i love that combination.


----------



## In the Kitchen (Jul 24, 2008)

When someone has their tonsils removed, I used Jello to get things inside.  Doesn't have to have something hard but soft and nutritious.  When our mother would not want to eat gave yogurt and Ensure drinks.  When my brother gets this attitude, I always remind him what the alternative is to not eating.  Maybe lasts few days but after that he sure gets hungry.  His is only mental thing but affects most of us.  

Sorry to hear about this.  Your concern for your friend is to be commended.


----------



## redgriller (Jul 24, 2008)

You could do what bodybuilders do and make a protein shake. You can get a 2lb tub of flavored Whey protein at Wal-Mart for under 15 bucks. Each scoop has 26 grams of protein. In a blender, add whole milk, a banana, a scoop of whey, and maybe even some ice cream. I like the strawberry whey myself. The shake tastes great, is high in carbs (when you add the banana) and protein. It’s a great and fast way to get carbs for energy as well as protein for building and maintaining muscle.


----------



## Aera (Jul 24, 2008)

I agree too on the protein shakes. With a blender you can add anything you want in there. Some flax oil with any fruits even juices you want. Along with a good protein powder. Also things like cottage cheese, ricotta cheeses are good and easy to eat. 

I feel very bad for this woman and I cannot even imagine her depression. But she is a survivor, and I think it's also very important for someone to connect her online somehow with cancer survivors groups. People who are dealing with the same situations and issues. They would know a lot more then we do on the eating and even the doctors! These people are living with it. The support they offer each other is important and this will really help her deal with this emotionally. She must feel so alone right now


----------



## shortchef (Jul 24, 2008)

Rice pudding, too, even if you have to put it in the blender.  Make a rich one with cream.  This is such a satisfying dish.


----------



## The Z (Jul 24, 2008)

My first thoughts when I read your request went back to my time in the south of Spain... and green gazpacho (liquid salad).

Recipe from spain-recipes.com

*Green Gazpacho*

 This colorful variation on the traditional red gazpacho hails from Huelva and  the Sierra Morena in Andalucia. 
 Unlike the classic gazpacho recipes, this soup relies on spinach, lettuce,  parsley, and mint for its freshness and texture. Although it is quite different  from its more traditional gazpacho cousins, this version is every bit as  refreshing.


Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation time: 15 min. plus chilling time
Difficulty: easy
 *Ingredients*



2 cups (4 oz) lettuce leaves, chopped
2 cups (4 oz) spinach
3 scallions, diced
1 medium cucumber  peeled and diced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz) sour cream, plus extra to garnish (optional)
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz) mayonnaise
2 cups (16 fl. oz) chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
 *Preparation*

 In a blender, combine the lettuce, spinach, scallions, cucumber, and parsley  until the mixture forms a pureé. Gradually add in the chicken broth, sour cream,  mayonnaise, mint, white pepper, and salt. Puree the mixture until it reaches an  even consistency. Refrigerate the soup until you are ready to serve.
 Serve the soup chilled in individual bowls, with a spoonful of sour cream  over each serving, if desired.


----------



## Michael in FtW (Jul 25, 2008)

I went through this with my Dad. 

Weight loss can come from insufficient nutrition or metabolic changes caused by medication or the cancer.

Loss of appetite can come from the surgery and/or the anesthesia (don't know how long post-op she is), medications, the cancer, loss of taste, difficulty in swallowing, depression - or a combination of any of these factors.

Meats, vegetables and fruits can be pureed and moistened or thinned to the required consistency for swallowing with broths, milk/cream, juice, etc. I got my initial inspiration for cooking for Dad from remembering when I had my tonsils out, when I was in college - on my 21st birthday and I was on my own .... baby food, soups, and creamed cereals (cream of wheat, cream of rice, Maypo, etc.). Of course things like fruit smoothies, protein shakes, etc. are also options to put on the menu along with things like Ensure and Boost - and the protein powders, Ensure and Boost can be used in combination with other foods to increase their nutritional value. 

The thing I learned about getting Dad to eat was to find out what he wanted - and then preparing it in a way he could eat it ... and sneaking in a little extra nutritional value with protein powders, powdered vitamins or fats. 

If this woman's daughter wants to identify some things her mom will eat I'll be glad to suggest ways to prepare them. But, if she is going to summarily reject any and all suggestions ... 

I'm glad to hear that a Dietitian is involved in her care, and that she is getting therapy. As much as I feel sorry for her - I feel sorry for her daughter, and certainly understand the position she is in.


----------



## Elf (Jul 26, 2008)

My daughter had to have jaw surgery, for 8 weeks she had her jaw wired shut.  We used the blender and pureed everything we served, I even did a 1/4 lb hamburger from McDonald's, pickle and 1/2 a bun, really tasted like the real thing because I tried it. Like Michael said , if you can find out what she craves you ca cook it up and dump it in the blender. Good Luck


----------

