Blended Diet After Orthognathic Surgery
A nutritious diet is important when you are recovering from an illness or surgery. The following guidelines will help you to meet your nutritional needs and prevent weight loss:
- You can eat the foods you usually eat, however a blender or food processor is needed to prepare foods in order for them to be thin enough to pass through a syringe;
- Do not use a straw unless approved by your oral and maxillofacial surgeon;
- Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating should be used to plan balanced meals by using a variety of foods;
- Blend foods to a thin consistency by adding liquids such as milk, tomato juice, tomato sauce, gravy, fruit juice and broth. Try to avoid using water because it lacks nutrients;
- To prevent weight loss, increase calories and protein in your diet by adding skim milk powder, gravies, sauces, cream, whole milk, ice cream or instant breakfast powder to foods. Eat more frequently. Weigh yourself weekly;
- Multi-vitamin supplements may be necessary to help your healing. Chewable vitamin tablets can be crushed and dissolved in liquid. Liquid multi-vitamins can also be used;
- Foods may need to be strained after blending to remove small pieces of fibre or seeds that could stick in your mouth or wires (ie: strawberries). A strainer or cheesecloth can be used for this purpose;
- To prevent constipation, increase your intake of blended whole grain products, natural bran, legumes, fruit and vegetables in your diet;
- Limit coffee, tea and pop as they provide very few nutrients;
- Commercial supplements can be purchased at grocery stores or pharmacies.
The following is a sample meal plan of a blended diet:
Breakfast: Fruit juice, hot cereal (thinned with milk), blended scrambled egg, yogurt (thinned with fruit juice).
Morning Snack: High protein shake.
Lunch: Chicken soup, blended cottage cheese, blended fruit.
Afternoon Snack: High protein shake.
Supper: Blended beef, potatoes and carrots, milk, fruit juice, blended pudding.
Evening Snack: High protein shake.