Have you tried wilted spinach for after surgery? There is something about greens that really help you heal, I went through surgery recently and I ate the following and I had a good recovery.

Buy pre washed spinach, wilt in a covered saucepan with a few tablespoons of water. Drain in colander, cool. Chop and season with garlic, oil and vinegar and salt. Serve with main course.

Or

Fry the pre washed spinach in oil until wilted, add crushed garlic and salt, cook until wilted, very quickly. This method is faster and and the combination of oil, garlic and spinach is very tasty especially if you are having soup too. The spinach is slightly astringent so you the oil doesn't make it greasy it's a good combination.

Anyway that's an old Italian dish, and I had this dish the fried one after surgery and now I realize garlic and spinach goes with everything. Yes this is only one a side dish, but sometimes you need good sides. You can also make a Tarte/Quiche, which no crust, just the custard flavored with garlic and salt and pepper, add the chopped spinach and some tomatoes and cheese to the bottom of your pie pan, cover with any quiche custard (3 or 4 eggs and milk) and bake. You don't need the crust. Some leave our the milk completely as they prefer an eggy custard.

As you get better you can try very soft cookies made with just powdered sugar, a touch of almond extract and lemon extract, and blanched almonds that are mixed in the blender, bake for 20 minutes, they are very soft. Substitute pistachios for a change.

Good Luck with your recovery.

Nat.

my brother in law had a broken jaw (wired shut) and we put alot of foods in the blender and added liquid (milk or water) to make them "drinkable". he wanted pizza in the worst way....we put it in the blender and he drank it. some things do taste better than others, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes are pretty tasty. steak and most meats are not as tasty. HTH!

Laura,

I just noticed your post so not sure if you still need recipes. I also had jaw surgery years ago and my mouth was wired shut for almost 8 wks. I could only eat with a food syringe with the tube stuck behind my back molar teeth. Very hard to eat enough to keep energy up. I don't know what I missed more - talking or eating.

Here's a few things I remember eating (all pureed completely to fit through the feeding tube):
-broccoli, cauliflower, cheese puree
-banana, peanut butter, ice cream shake
-carrot, parsley juice (really tasty)
-V8, fruit juices, veggie juices of all types
-tomato soup with chili seasoning, mexican seasoning, or italian seasoning
-potato/cheese soup
-taco soup (tomato soup with pureed grn pepper, onion, cilantro, taco seasonings)
-puddings
-applesauce with apple pie spices
-thin mashed potatoes with cream cheese and parmesan
-sweet potatoes with maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla
-macaroni and cheese
-Ensure or similar nutrition drinks in a can

Cheese may increase mucus so he might not be comfortable with that. I drank tea after meals and snacks to cut the mucus-y feeling. I got very tired of bland things so started adding lots of spices to liven up the purees. Once I even tried lasagna through the blender but it clogged up my feeding syringe. Also drank a fresh watermelon - not near as fun as eating slices.

If you'd like specific recipes for these, let me know. I hope your brother is doing well. He's probably found all sorts of things to eat by now.

I'm heading toward a jaw replacement surgery and so this bulletin board has been very helpful in my initial research for a liquid diet. My surgeon tells me my jaw will be wired shut six to eight weeks. At any rate, does anyone know of any other online resources? I'm amazed at how little direction is given for the post-op diet.

I posted here when I had 5 teeth pulled, and got some great recipes. My favorite was cream of asparagus soup. I wish I'd written down the person who's responsible for it, but maybe some of you may recognize it. It was so good and so filling:

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears
1 medium onion -- diced
1 Tbsp butter
3 cups chicken stock
1 medium potato -- peeled and diced (I believe he actually shredded it, with a cheese grater)
1 rib celery -- chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup cream (I use milk)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions:

Soak and rinse asparagus. Remove top 1 inch of each spear, discard tough lower part, reserving middle portion of stalks. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, sautonion in butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Add chicken stock, asparagus tips and stems, potato, celery, thyme, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to
low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool.

Remove asparagus tips and set aside. Place half of the soup at a time in a blender container. Cover and blend at high speed for 20 to 30 seconds or until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and return blended soup to saucepan. Add reserved asparagus tips and cream (or half and half, or milk) and heat thoroughly, or refrigerate to be served cold.

Serves 4

NOTES : Half & half or milk may be substituted for the cream if fat content is a concern, although it won't taste quite as good. Be sure to adjust the seasoning after you add the cream (or half & half, or milk), especially if you plan to serve it cold.

I wish I could have some right now, but I'm on the South Beach diet. I miss my taters. -sigh-
C

Thank you so much for the recipes and suggestions. It really has been helpful and we are compiling them into one place. I'm less than a month from surgery now and we bought our "juicer." If any of you have further suggestions on how to make nutritional, liquid meals that are tastey, by all means...we are listening.

My husband broke his jaw last weekend and had his jaw wired shut on Tuesday. I'm desparate for any recipes that work through a straw, especially things that are not so sweet. Your ideas are appreciated and we will share our recipes as we compile them, too. Thanks!

i had my jaw wired shut for about three weeks, and was going crazy at the lack of "savory" foods available. its all juices, smoothies, ensure drinks... so much sugar i almost learned to dislike the stuff!

solutions i found were chicken broth, split pea or tomato soup, and my favorite of all time... cheese soup! seriously, they sell it. full of delicious fat and sodium, mm mm. try adding garlic, onion, or spices to any of the soups as well.

the best thing about jaw wired shut is that even though it's a liquid diet, you don't have to worry about calories from fat anymore (i lost 15 pounds over a varying treatment of 6 weeks, drinking anything i could get my hands on). try using it as an excuse to try every sports drink and juice ever made. long live starbucks frappucinos!

Well...i am on the full liquid diet right now. I am really getting sick of blan foods, and the same foods all over agian. I really need some yummy choices...PLEASE HELP...if you have any it would really help keep me sane...haha. Thanks to every idea that i have gotten from this site already. If you have any really tasty recipes please send me some at my email address or post them thanks! i would really appericate more ideas. Thank you sooo much!
_haLeY_:)

My jaw is wired shut right now. 2 weeks down 4 more to go. I am craving protein like mad. I tried doing some meatloaf in the blender but I couldn't get it fine enough to go through my teeth. Does anyone have any ideas of something I could eat with tons of protein in it? I am sick of adding peanut butter to my milkshakes and ensure/boost plus protein aren't cutting it for me. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

Had 8 weeks of this too. My favorite was canned tamales pureed. For some reason this actually turned out and tasted great. Took care of my mexican food craving, hot, spicey. It would have some protein. The other found substitue was chinese soups. Neither are for a balanced diet, but gives you something to junk on. Also, I ate a lot of thinned Jello puddings. Sometimes adding extra cocoa to the chocolate.

Yes to good diets, but being wired shut deserves some pleasures too.

I'm in week two out of six with jaw wired shut. Here's what I've found:

Naturally, a good blender is important. Buy or borrow one if you don't already have one. I was lucky; my roommate works for a restaurant and he already had a commercial-grade juicer which will liquify pretty much anything you put into it.

I've been keeping plenty of the follow on-hand to thin out what I'm going to 'eat': milk, fruit juice (apple is pretty neutral in flavor,) and vegetable broth. I add one or more of these depending on what I'm blending.

I've found that cooked oatmeal blends well when thinned with milk or juice, and that it's very filling and satisfying. I've added all kinds of things, including bananas with peanut butter, chocolate nutrition drink (Ensure, etc.), honey, wheat germ and flavored yoghurt, and more.

I've been using a lot of yoghurt in my smoothies, btw, and they're great for flavor, texture, and to counteract the beneficial bactera kill-off that goes along with taking antibiotics after surgery.

I've done mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and melted cheese which was pretty tasty, although the texture wasn't the greatest... just be sure to thin with plenty of milk and/or vegetable broth.

I even tried some 4-cheese lasagne last night, thinned with veggie broth. It was... interesting. Um... different. Don't know that I can strongly recommend this one, but hey, variety is the spice of life.

Lots of soups, of course.

Good luck to anyone going through this. Only four more weeks for me!

my husband has just had major gum/jaw surgery and can only 'eat' very soft foods, so far we have done, smoothies, chocolate malt drinks, soups (some home made, some from restaurants), mashed potatoes and gravy, yogurt, V8, weetabix (cereal - add milk and let it go mushy) and tonight i am going to cook some dover sole and mashed potatoes. My husband also likes raw eggs and milk with a touch of hot sauce. I think he misses his carbs most! We have found that the Glad sip and go drink containers are great. Also am using plastic kids spoons. Some of the ideas already listed sound great. so i will try them later this week. I guess we are lucky - my husband only had 10 days of this, then we can go onto things like scrambled eggs etc.

I have had my jaw wired shut for almost 4 weeks now and finally have a decent food pattern down :). It has been one of those experiences that really expose how much we take simple things in life for granted, I mean not being able to lick and envelope or lick food off of your finger is so strange!

First I had bundles of ensure and babyfood, but both began to make my stomache feel super queezy so I had to get creative with the blender. I began to find that most foods that taste good together really dont taste good when they are really TOGETHER. One thing I found was really num was putting a slice of bread, peanut butter, jelly and milk in the food processor made a pretty good PBJ sammie milkshake :). It was good for about a week straight, then got a little old!

After three weeks of becoming very desperate for food my oral surgeon recommended a really great protein power to me. It is called Muscle Milk and can be found a nutrition store, but two scoopfuls are full of about 60% protein and 33% of any vitamin you could want in the day (except fiber, grr), and then also 300 calories. It instructs to mix with water, but it tastes GREAT with milk - which adds 100-200 calories. I got the flavor of cookies and cream and I swear it has been a lifesaver. I keep getting extremely nauseous off of the few foods I can eat and I get very faint when I dont eat enough, so this muscle milk has been great!

Also, one other thing that makes my stomache feel very soothed is Malt-o-Meal/Cream of Wheat. I just water it down a little and can easily suck it through a straw. I crave wheaty products so this stuff makes my tummy o-so-happy.

i've been wired for 7 weeks from a broken jaw from a bicycle accident. would like to hear of others long term results from being wired. I just pray when they loosen the bands next week, that my teeth line up and I can chew, etc.

My husband broke his jaw and will be wired for at least 4 more weeks. He refuses to drink any soups through a straw and will only drink ensure, smoothies, and milkshakes. He's extremely weak. Any suggestions? Please help!!!!

I had jaw surgery two weeks ago and was banded shut for 10 days. There's so much out there nowadays you just have to browse the aisles in the stores. If you have Trader Joe's near by, pick up some of their flavored and plain waters with electrolytes - so important to keep you hydrated. Also, there's a lot of vitamin waters out there either Trader Joe's brand or Glaceau Vitamin Water - so much better than Gatorade. I used Kashi Go Lean Shakes - 3-4 a day would give you all vitamins and minerals needed. In the health food store you can find Spiru-tein protein shake mixes. Nice 'cause it comes in individual packets so you can have some variety. I made my shakes with soy milk. Another product full of vitamins and minerals is Carnation Instant Breakfast. Sometimes I added peanut butter to the chocolate or vanilla shake for extra protein and variety, but add a little extra milk to thin. We bought a flavor injector for $5.99 from Bed Bath and instead of using the needle, bought vinyl hose from the hardware store, attached it and cut it to whatever length was comfortable for me. Don't forget the soups that come in a box at Trader Joe's and also in the grocery store - roasted pepper and tomato; carrot, ginger & cashew, and butternut squash are a few. Bolthouse has some healthy drinks out there - frappucinno and chai tea, both with protein. Don't forget to get some exercise - if you're not strong enough to go for a walk, walk back and forth through the house a few times a day. Good nutrition and exercise (blood circulation) are the key to a quick recovery. I'm 57 and two weeks after surgery most of my swelling is gone, had very little bruising, and the only numbness left is in my lower lip and chin and that's pretty minimal.

I GETTING JAW SURGERY ON MY BOTTOM JAW THIS SUMMER AND MY MOUTH IS GOING TO BE WIRE SHUT I NEED ALOT OF FOOD IDEAS TO MAKE IN LIQUIDS TO SUCK THROUGH A STRAW IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR ME EMAIL ME PLEASE

Had my tonsils removed at 34 and WOW I'm in some serious pain. I came here looking for smooth foods that I could eat while i am recovering. I really really miss meat and wish someone had a recipe for a blender cheeseburger. I have tried several of the things already listed here. Here are a few I have experimented with and found to work:
- Hungry Jack instant mashed potato flakes made from chicken stock and with American cheese and sour cream to make it really really smooth.
- Slim Fast chocolate milkshake poweder blended with blue bunny vanilla frozen yogurt, skim milk, and a teaspoon of instant coffee crystals. Gives you your coffee/Starbucks fix with a lot of vitamins and minerals.
- pea soup through a blender
- Chunky New England Clam Chowder thrown in the blender. Surprisingly good.

I'm going to try the mac and cheese I have seen here. Frankly the New England Clam Chowder blendering worked so well, I am going to check out a few other soups with a similar consistency.

HELLO MY NAME IS ANDREA I'M 19 ABOUT TO BE 20 AND AS OF RIGHT NOW IVE BEEN IN BRACES A YEAR NOW AND HAVING JAW SURGERY IN OCTOBER AND IM NOT SO MUCH WORRIED OF THE PAIN BUT MORE WORRIED OF THE VARIETY OF FOOD ILL BE ABLE TO PUREE BECAUSE IM VERY PICKY AND I DONT THINK JUST THE OPTIONS ON THE FORUM WILL BE ENOUGH SUM1 HELP!!!!!!!!

I'm katie I'm 16 and I just had jaw surgery a week ago. Andrea, not to psych you out but I would be more worried about the pain, at first it makes you forget how hungry you are and you dont even care anymore. I have 5 more weeks of liquid food and I've lost 6 lbs so far. I'm also realllyyyyy picky but at least things taste better when you're hungry. I like rice a roni in the blender but then its watery so I fry it a little to evaporate some of the water. Its not totally liquid but I'm able to swallow it so I cheat a little.

Bump

I am about three weeks into my recovery (with my jaw wired shut with a splint between my upper and lower teeth) from my orthognathic surgery and i have already lost 13 pounds. I also have 2 more MONTHS to go. Also, i have a splint in my mouth, which makes it impossible to drink from a straw. HELP MEEEEEE. i am getting sick of all the sweet juices (except for apple cider juice) and my main meals are either soup broth or a protein shake. i am craving real food! especially cheese. and beef. somehow i got mashed potatoes into my mouth, which was fantastic, but it is very hard to get in and it hurts. any suggestions for bulking up? before my surgery i was a high-performance swimmer, and now the best exercise i can get is taking my dogs for a walk. i want my muscle back:(
thank you and good luck everyone!

i broke my jaw at the weekend on a trip in mexico, i now have my jaws wired shut, and am going to miss thanksgiving and christmas dinner.

but i have just read through this page and it gives me hope for a tasteyish few weeks until i can eat again.

thank-you.

i'll come back if i think of anything else to add to this later.

Anyone know if a mcdonalds burger can be blended up and if it would taste any good? I've been wired shut for the past three weeks and have been wanting a burger in the worst way!

I too have had my jaw wired shut after fracturing both sides of my jaw.
Ive lost 5lbs in my 1st week and it seems to have stabilized now. I have been eating readybreak lots of milk, milk shakes, soups of the no bits variety adding alsorts to make taste different. milkybar desserts, mouses,jelly mushed up, icecream .
I am really missing savoury foods!!
Ive blended potatoes with lots of water/milk but no good its too starchy blocks gaps in teeth.
really fancied cheesy mash too!! boo!
oh well
4 more weeks to go.
its weird but craving the things wouldnt normally eat !!

I never knew hunger until I got my jaw wired shut, It's only been a week and i feel like i could eat a whole cow. I tried the soups, yogorts,and the milk shakes and really it just isn't hitting the shot. I even thought of taking the wires out my self and bitting in to a big jucie buger...i need help bad...so i am open for any help..thanks

I passed out cut my chin and fractured my jaw in 2 spots. Becuz of my panic attacks n anxiety. The dr did not wire me shut yet I have one week to hold my jaw still no talking or eating solid food eat only thru a straw..anyone who has there jaw wired please help me aren't u scared of things like throwing up n chocking on anything..I am drinking thru a straw soups drinks milkshakes but it only has been 4 days of doing this. I hope this is enough so I don't need to b wired.

i just had my third of 5 oral surgeries to fix my upper jaw and let me tell you...Invest in a Ninja!!! that thing is the best for liquid diets...Just last night night I liquified some fresh baked chicken with corn and gravy, while it may have looked gross it was extremely tasty and cured my craving for real food....just cook everything seperately and use the buttery water used to cook the fozen corn to help loosen up th blend. Like i said looks and sounds gross but truely tasted great. The Ninja does it all, better thatn anything I've tried even a Majic Bullet doesnt compare.

My mother has trouble eating real food at 82 and this is one of her favorite that I came up with.

Creamy Salmon Soup

1 med sweet onion diced
1/2 teas diced garlic
1 stick butter
1 can boneless skinles salmon
1 Tbl Paul Purdhomme's Magic Seasoning
Blends "Blackened Redfish Magic"
3-4 Tbl flour
2 cans of evaporated milk (I like Carnation)

Saute onions and garlic with the Magic Seasoning in 1/2 stick butter until cooked well. Dump in blender, add the salmon (undrained) and blend well. Melt the remainder of the butter and add enough flour to make absorb the butter, do not brown, Add 1 - 1 1/2 cans of the milk stirring well and simmer until thickened. Add the salmon mixture, to the pot and stir it in good. You may have to add a little bit more milk to get the consistancy that you desire.

Thank you!! Just had jaw surgery a week ago today, still have another week before I can drink through a straw, or fit a spoon in my mouth. I've lost 9 lbs so far on 1 week on a liquid diet. I'm an avid road cyclist so I'm thinking most of it is muscle mass :( but still not eating enough to exercise altho I long for my trainer...I nearly passed out walking to class this afternoon so I think the bike will have to wait another few days at least.

This forum is so funny and SOO true. Never been sooo hungry in all my life, or craved a cheeseburger like this in my life. Tomato soup has been a savior...and malt-o-meal although I have to say having it for 5 days straight I'm not sure how many more days I can go. Oatmeal was a bit of a challenge so I nixed it, gonna try the mash potatoes w/ cheese...gonna be another 5-6 weeks before I can eat normal again....ahhh the little things we take for granted!

I'm getting my surgery in a month. I'm now getting really scared after reading this. I am a very picky eater and my doctor hasn't given me any idea what it will be like after. I don't think they are going to wire my jaw shut but I am very small and don't have weight to lose. I am glad that I am not the only one that is a picky eater and This has help me get ideas on what I want to eat and not eat. Thanks. I will post again when I talk to my doctor

The book that I will be using is called The healing Kitchen: A guide to liquid Diet.

(you can buy it from her or from amazon. she sells them for 10 and amazon for 25)

Here is a link to the book that our orthodontist provided before my daughter's Orthagnathic surgery the end of June. She has lost weight but is getting better. The chicken taco didn't work for her but might for others. This is a GREAT book with good recipe's in it. Hope it helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dinner Through a straw

hey i got my jaw wired shut 3 weeks ago and its a pain but i have some ideas and things that im drinking now and here are some -milk, banana, ice cream,sugar or splenda and other fruits but banana adds more flavor -get lots of yogurt and cookies and make the cookies powder and mix it -mashed potatos and melted cheese -try black beans and rice -eggs and leave them in the blender for about a minute and if you want something like tuna or chicken add sauce or mayo and milk or water

I've never been there, never cared for anyone in this condition, but after reading through, I'm shocked...

No one has mentioned tofu?

Tofu (especially silken) liquifies so easily. It'll take on the flavor of anything you cook/mix it with, add protein and thickness. You can put it with sweet or savory. It's the most perfect base.

I'm also wondering whether anyone has tried Nooch?

Nooch (or nutritional yeast) is a B vitamin powerhouse that vegans have been hiding from the rest of us for years! Get it fresh from a bulk bin...old nooch starts to taste a little funky, fresh is awesome. It's got a cheesy flavor not unlike the bright orange cheese from those instant mac'n'cheese boxes. It'll dissolve into liquids (mmm...butter), blends up nicely, but doesn't "melt" or get sticky the way real cheese does. I'd recommend that you don't switch totally to nooch instead of cheese, but if you split half and half, it might not gum up a tube?

I've been experimenting with gluten free/dairy free while I battle an inflammation type condition, and nooch and ghee (clarified butter) are the best topping for broccoli one can imagine once you've gotten bored with it. I can only imagine how great they'd be blended into a soup.

You might also try an avgolemono for an intense flavor hit...it's a traditional greek soup with a lemon/broth/egg base, except by whisking constantly the egg never congeals, and it looks like a cream soup. I make the asparagus version from Moosewood Simple Suppers, you might have to skip the orzo and puree the asparagus to get it through a feeding syringe, but it'll still be a savory variation.

HTH!

J

This is my second jaw surgery as my first one didn't work. I am wired shut this time for 12 weeks to be safe as my doctor puts it. I am 7 weeks in and have 5 more weeks. I also have been having a hard, claustrophobic feeling this time from not being able to eat or lick my finger. I am exhausted all the time and it is even harder with 4 kids including my 9 month old son who I am trying to still breastfeed( more for comfort now since my supply is so low)but anyway now that i just vented that out here are some ideas that I have been using. ( oh and yes i am eating through a syringe and squirting the stuff inbetween the small gaps of my teeth) I am eating nalleys original chili, or even wendy's chili. We did buy a ninja blender this time because it has worked the best. My husband has made me green peas and tuna in a creamy broth with mashed potatoes. I like mashed potatoes with country gravy which makes it more liquified. I bought a soup mix from walmart for chicken enchilada soup which was spicey and good. I just didnt put very much chicken in because it would clog up my gaps. I also did canned tamales. I like bean and bacon soup and it blends really well. I can blend up progresso vegetable beef soups too. I like peanut butter ice cream shakes and orange cream shakes. My husband even blended up strawberries, whipping cream, a little bit of angel food cake for dessert on memorial day. It was really good the strawberry juice and whipping cream made it really liquified. Liquified cream o wheat with lots of honey. I also add boost powder to chocolate milk to drink. I was so tired that i finally ordered liquid vitamins online and especially the b vitamins and this helped so much. I could really tell a difference after about 4 days of using it. I know this sounds a bit gross but I was making my kids a casserole cheesy chicken casserole and i just took out the chicken and sucked up the sauce which was made with cream cheese and spices. That was really good too. I also can eat blended spaghetti sauce with some ground beef no noodles though cuz it makes it pasty. One thing that has helped me get through this too is when I smell or see a food I really want I add it to a list of what I am going to eat when I can finally chew food. (and I smell it, my family thinks this is funny) Tomorrow, my hubby is going to try to get me a taco bell bean burrito and also some nacho cheese sauce and see if we can liquify it enough for me to eat. Here's hoping!!! Good luck to everyone else in the same situation.

My BF was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer 3 1/2 yrs ago and after chemo, radiation, loss of part of his tongue, jaw replacement and throat replacement with muscle from his arm was told he would have to live with a PEG tube for the rest of his life. He refused and learned to down Ensure, aspirating a little each time but swallowing tests show it is not detrimental as he has learned to drink over a sink and he coughs out the last little bit. He has not been able to gain weight beyond 140 lbs (he looks like a stick man) even downing 16 bottles of Ensure a day and eventually adding whey protein powder until I met him. He likes to race in Enduro motorcycle competitions so is high energy. I am an RN and can't stand to see people using Ensure as a meal replacement, it is only meant to be a supplement and other than the vitamins and protein only contains oil and sugar with milk solids. I figured if he could down anything I could get him back to consuming vitamins, fat, etc. through natural foods and put some weight on him. The sugar in the Ensure has also taken a toll on what was beautiful white teeth. He had purchased a Vitamix 5200 (pricey but worth it) to mix another powdered sweet drink he found (can't remember the name) to put weight on. The vitamix will actually dessimate anything you place in it and is so fast it will heat the food so hot that you can't drink it. I have learned to blend the weirdest foods together to get the high calories and the only problem I've had is with the broths/juices/milk you have to add to get it to the very liquid consistency will sometimes dilute the flavors. I literally blend anything I eat for him and he is eating better than ever. I now taste everything (sometimes it sounds like it would be gross) and have been astounded at how flavorful meals can be. He has gained 10 lbs over the last 2 months since I add cheese, butter, use whole milk, and for shakes blend high fat nuts like Macadamia and coconut (he loves) and add to them. I have noticed that chicken and dumplings is his favorite because the base of the soup is all I need to use to thin it so it is full flavor. Also for some reason the italian dishes like spaghetti, lasagna, etc. even when thinned severely with beef broth keep the original taste. White sauces are best thinned with chicken broth and milk (both) and sweet and sour chicken is best thinned with apple juice. He is Jewish so when we made potato latke's I put the apple sauce and sour cream in and thinned with apple juice and milk and it tasted almost just like mine in a liquid version. One potato latke thinned equalled 64 ounces so thank goodness he can drink alot! Next time I may add a few potato flakes for extra calories. He has started blending sushi and thins with seafood broth found only at Central Market here. I've done steak with potato including sour cream, butter, bacon bits and thinned one time with milk and another with beef broth and added beef gravy...he loved it! Most of our "soups" come out restaurant quality:-)My next jump is to make steak with Au Jus and Demi Glace to try to get the flavor to come out better. I encourage you all not to be afraid to try different things together and remember that on a liquid diet you need to increase your calories significantly. His Oncologist said he can't believe I've been able to put weight on him but he's defied all of them from the start:-)

My son broke his jaw last Sunday and I was floored when the surgeon toll me to expect him to loose at least 20 pounds before his recovery is done. I have just struggled to get 13 lbs on him after health issues drove him to go vegan with little support. He is 18 and I had just got him up too 117 lbs! He is not a sweet eater and we are finding that with the loose teeth, everything needs to be room temp. Any ideas for a high cal, high protein, savory vegan blender meal?

Hey everyone! I am in dire need a help. My friend came off his bike and has had some nasty facial injuries, including have his jaw wired shut to deal with multiple breakages. He is a vegan and is very stringent with his diet. In hospital he has become very weak because vegan supplements are not available readily on our national health service. He has not eaten anything for three days and is unable to stand. Although, I completely respect his right to decide what to eat I don't feel he is acting in his own best interest and I am very concerned. I was hoping that if I could make him a variety of vegan liquid supplements at home it may encourage him to listen to the doctors a little bit sooner in order for him to be discharged from hospital. Has anyone got any recipe ideas? he's unable to open his mouth at all so everything has to be the consistency of water so that we can flood his back teeth. Any suggestions would be most welcome I am very worried about him. Thank you so much x