# Liquid Meals



## Selkie (Feb 4, 2010)

I have a very good friend who is going to be undergoing Mandibular Jaw Advancement surgery soon, and will be unable to chew for up to six weeks. Does anyone have information on nutritious AND good tasting liquid meals that can be taken in by a straw? I'm at something of a loss for more than just a few items. Simplicity would also be helpful.

Thank you in advance!


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## Janet H (Feb 4, 2010)

Try googling "mechanical soft diet"  which is the technical name for a blender food diet.  The trick is getting a balanced diet and there are several sites that have some help available.

I would take a good long look at savory custard-type recipes.  Folks who are on a pureed diet get mighty sick of sweet food.


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## luvs (Feb 4, 2010)

liquid foods may be as simple as ensure or boost. other companies offer similar products. some providers cover these if they're the main source of nutrition. 
also, there's shakes, there's malted milk/ovaltine/carnation breakfast/syrups that could be blended into whole milk.
there's a fruity drink, novartis owned that, then another company, boost, maybe. calorically sufficient although cloying & syrupy. lacks nutrition benefits of other supplements. 250/cals box, usually.
supplements provide from 250-360 kcals per drink. a few offer more, 500 or above. formulas vary.
there's benecalorie, too, that is basically a foil-topped tub of extras that is blended into a drink. 
some formulas were intended for enteral feedings, so read labels before purchase. they may be plain & minus flavoring, or blended from the likes of chix/peas/cranberry juice/carrot.
some places that ship direct, & the recipient gets several 24-packs monthly.
the extent of the necessity is factored in. 
otherwise, there's blender foods & baby food.


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## luvs (Feb 4, 2010)

an addition- janet is correct that a mechanical-soft diet should be considered.
although the mechanical diet i was on:
IF they gave me my food like they were instructed, i'd recieve a scoop of ground meat & some gravy, a mushy veggie, & liquidy potatoes. 
they often forewent providing my food, assuring me that barbaqued hamburgers & pizza (pizza?!) were mechanical-soft. 
until i plain 'ol ranted.
then my food was correct.
when i recieved a mechanical/soft diet elsewhere, they pureed my foods into a paste.

ohhhhh, & there's ensure pudding & boost pudding. if ya don't mind grey-ish vanilla pudding, these would be great.


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## CharlieD (Feb 4, 2010)

How about making some good nutricious soups and put it thru blender. when I had my wisdom teeth out I couldn't touch ensure or boost, or whatever. I would throw up just from smelling them, incidentely I like them when I feel good. Of course with withdom teeth it is only couple-tree days. But that is what I ate. Normal soop that I like, that was put into blender.


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## MostlyWater (Feb 6, 2010)

If you can get protein powder, you can make smoothies form them that are nutritious.


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## Selkie (Feb 7, 2010)

Thank you all for your advise. It is appreciated!


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## vagriller (Feb 7, 2010)

MostlyWater said:


> If you can get protein powder, you can make smoothies form them that are nutritious.



When I first read that I thought it said protein chowder.


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## nikki (Feb 17, 2010)

Get a really good food processor/blender, and your options are endless! 
You can make so many smoothies/shakes/soups, and even get whey protein (or other types), along with other suppliments that your friend may not get with just the blended food.


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## nikki (Feb 17, 2010)

If you have an iPhone, there's an app on there called "Smoothie" or something like that. It's free, and has all of these cool smoothie ideas.. 
Also, add in some ground flax seed (2 tbsp per serving). 
Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla, or cocoa/carob powder, honey, almond butter, chocolate chips, frozen yogurt or sorbet for sweet smoothies. 
Add spices like cellery salt, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder, and tomatoe juice, pineapple juice, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, cellery, etc for a savoury smoothie.


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