Diet Guide Following Orthognatic Surgery
This diet has been designed to provide you with the best possible nutrition while you are recovering from facial surgery or while you are having difficulty in chewing and/or swallowing.
General Guidelines
1. All food in this diet is in a liquid or blended form which is easy to consume.
2. You may find that smaller and more frequent feedings are better tolerated than the usual three meals a day.
3. It is important for you to consume a variety of foods from each of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide so that your diet will be nutritionally adequate.
4. Since it will be more difficult for you to keep your teeth clean while your jaw is wired shut, avoid food high in sugar such as soda pop, syrup and sticky foods such as jelly and caramel. Do brush your teeth and oral rinse after each meal or snack.
5. The food preparation tips and recipe ideas which follow are only a guide. Any food item, which you can blenderize or which is easy to consume, may be taken. Do experiment and vary the flavor and colour of your foods to make the diet more interesting and enjoyable.
Food Preparation
A) If you own or can borrow a blender:
Most soft foods can be successfully blended. Extra fluid in the form of milk, cream, gravy, broth, fruit juice or water may be required to achieve the desired consistency. Extra portions of blended foods can be prepared and frozen in meal size amounts for future use.
Many convenience foods, such as canned stews, spaghetti and chunky soups as well as frozen dinners, such as lasagna and salisbury steak, can all be heated and blended for a quick tasty meal.
B) If you do not have a blender:
Commercial strained baby foods are very useful in this case. Plain, strained meats and separate strained vegetables are preferable to combination dinners which are often not high enough in protein for an adult. Since baby foods are usually too bland for adult taste, broth or well-seasoned gravies or sauces may be used to thin the meats and vegetables and to add flavor.
Strained fruits can be diluted with fruit juice or may be added to milkshakes and eggnogs.
Supplemental Foods
High energy, high nutrient supplements such as ENSURE, MERITENE, SUSTACAL and SUSTACAL PUDDING, and BOOST can be used to help prevent weight loss if this becomes a problem. Maintaining your normal weight is important. Even if you are overweight this is not a good time to diet since you require extra nutrients in order to recover as quickly as possible.
RECIPE IDEAS
Basic Eggnog
200ml whole milk, 1 egg, 5ml vanilla. Blend until smooth. Recipe can be varied by adding 125ml ice cream and/or 125ml sliced fruit. Liquid honey or sugar may be used to taste.
Wake-Up Shake (2 servings)
250ml whole milk, 125ml vanilla ice cream, 2 eggs, 125ml sliced canned peaches, 75ml frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed; blend together.
Instant Breakfast
125ml dry unsweetened cereal, 125ml whole milk, 125ml orange juice, 1 egg, vanilla or honey to taste; blend together. Strain if necessary.
High Protein Drink (2 servings)
250ml whole milk, 125ml ice cream, 2 eggs, 75ml skim milk powder, 5ml vanilla or other flavouring; blend together.
Chocolate Peanut Shake (2 servings)
375ml chocolate milk, 75ml skim milk powder, 250ml chocolate or vanilla ice cream, 50ml smooth peanut butter; blend until smooth. Optional – small ripe banana can be added.
Tiger’s Milk
200ml plain or flavoured yogurt, 1 egg, I small ripe banana sliced, 125ml pineapple juice, 15ml honey; blend together. Buttermilk can be used in place of the yogurt.
Cucumber Smoothie
250ml yogurt, 2 eggs, I small cucumber seeded and chopped, honey to taste, blend together; strain if necessary.
Quick Vegetable Soup
125ml mixed vegetables, cooked, I beef bouillon cube, 125ml boiling water, 125ml whole milk or cream, seasoning to taste. Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water. Puree vegetable with the milk or cream. Blend both together and add seasonings. Strain and reheat in a saucepan.
Vegetable Rarebit
10ml butter, 10ml flour, 125ml milk, 50ml grated cheese, 75ml strained vegetable or meat and vegetable dinner, 1 slice bread. Soak bread in the milk for one minute. Blend in the blender and strain. Melt butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until blended. Stir in the strained bread and milk. Add cheese and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in strained vegetable, heat and season to taste. Add more milk if mixture is too thick.
Fruity Vegetables
125ml strained squash or sweet potato, 125ml strained applesauce and apricots, 5ml butter, dash salt and nutmeg. Combine in a saucepan and heat until bubbly.
Beefy Meatloaf
75gm serving of meatloaf, 1 small potato cooked, 1 small carrot cooked, 30ml meat gravy, 250ml beef bouillon. Blend meatloaf, potato and carrot. Add gravy and bouillon and blend until smooth. Strain if necessary.
Hot Chicken Dinner
200ml whole milk, 125ml cubed chicken or chicken baby food, 75ml cooked rice, 75ml cooked vegetables, I sl bread, 250ml whole milk, 5ml butter.
Blend milk with chicken for 2 minutes. Add rice, vegetables and bread with the remaining milk and blend for 1 minute. Strain. Melt butter in the top of a double boiler, add strained mixture and heat. Season to taste.
Seven Seas Dinner
50ml canned salmon or tuna, 75ml cooked macaroni or noodles, 50ml cooked peas, 175ml milk, I 5ml mayonnaise, seasoning to taste. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more milk if needed for a thinner consistency. Heat and serve.
Metric and Imperial Equivalents
250ml= 1 cup 125ml=1/2 cup 15ml= 1 tablespoon
200ml=3/4 cup 25ml = 1/3 cup 5ml= 1 teaspoon
175ml= 2/3 cup 50ml= 1/4 cup 25gm= 1 ounce
