Wow! It's been a while since I've blogged, so I guess I need to update everyone on what's been going on.
I've been doing a lot of traveling back and forth visiting my parents and doing some networking trips for my upcoming dietetic internship/graduate school application process (YIKES!). I got back from a whirlwind DC/NYC/NJ weekend trip, where I spent far too much time on public transit for one weekend, and the day after I got home I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out at once. Yes, I'm probably too old to just NOW be getting these things out, but I guess my wisdom came in a little slower than most.
This brings me to my topic: surviving oral surgery without popsicles. I didn't want to be a bump on the log for a week eating nothing but pudding and jello, so I made some good plans PRE surgery with my lovely caretakers (thanks Mom and Dad) so that we would have plenty of nutritious options ready to go.
Basics:
Pudding and jello: Hey, I said I didn't want to eat only pudding and jello. These things are easy to eat on the first day and the chilled feeling is really nice on those sore teeth.
Sherbet: I wanted a fruit-based dessert instead of ice cream. You could make this yourself if you plan ahead and have an ice cream maker!
Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce chilled in the fridge is ideal for this sort of procedure. You can add a little cinnamon if that suits you.
Baby food: Yep, I ate baby food. Steamed and pureed vegetables is always a sub for this, but for convenience sake I went with the packaged baby foods. Sitting around for a week without any vegetables in my diet just wasn't going to happen and this was the best way to get them in from day 1.
Meals:
Scrambled eggs: Great for breakfast because you can gum them down pretty easily
Smoothies: It's important that you don't include any berries with seeds because they could get stuck in your wounds, but smoothies with bananas and some whey protein have been really great for keeping me full. My favorite one was a vanilla pumpkin pudding smoothie that I made for lunch (recipe below). You could do a greens smoothie for some extra veggies, but make sure to puree to a super smooth texture before drinking it. Remember, NO STRAWS!
Soups: My mom was kind enough to run to Trader Joe's and pick up some healthy pre-made soups without any extra herbs that could cause issues with my teeth. She also made me a red potato soup/puree that tasted like heaven after a day of jello. The name of the game is staying full so we kept the skin on (yay fiber!) and put the boiled potatoes in the blender with milk and a little bit of butter.
Fish: My first real food after surgery was fish because it has a soft, flaky texture that is easy to swallow. Make sure you don't add too many seasonings and depending on the type of fish you have, check for bones!
Pasta/Noodles: Once you can stand to chew a little bit, pasta is a great dish to have that will keep you more satisfied than veggie purees. I would recommend cooking it a little more than you may be used to because the longer you cook it, the softer it gets. My Italian grandmother is rolling over in her grave, but I'm sure she would understand that it's for the best this time.
So that's how I've been making it through my oral surgery! It just takes a little bit of planning and you can get through something like this without completely compromising a healthy diet. Give yourself a little leeway to eat the pudding and the jello without feeling guilty about it, but make sure you try to include veggies, protein, and whatever grains you can at your stage of recovery.
The better nutrients you take in, the better you will feel!
Vanilla Pumpkin Smoothie:
1 frozen banana
1 individual vanilla pudding cup
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (from a can)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup milk or milk alternative
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Blend until very smooth and drink up!
