Easy Chew meals

[Janet H]

I need to prepare some meals for someone who is in the middle of dental implant procedures after chemo induced tooth loss. Any ideas about satisfying meals for someone who has pain chewing food? She says she's been living on cottage cheese and refried beans - that just seems sad and I think I you can help.

Any ideas for great dishes that can be made ahead delivered?

 

[dragnlaw]

Perhaps some saucy and with the pasta slightly overcooked - mac 'n cheese?

Bit of protein and carbs there that she could use.

and also perhaps use a smaller noodle than macaroni itself?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Ground meats, did that for Shrek when he couldn't chew steak. Cook it as always with the rub/seasoning she likes then coarse grind the cooked meat in the processor. Saute veggies just a wee bit longer than usual.

The above works with beef, chicken and pork.

 

[larry_stewart]

How recently have the implants been placed? and are the healing caps exposed ( look like little metal cylinders), or is the gum tissue completely covering the implants at the point ?

 

[GotGarlic]

Baby shrimp salad.
Orzo with a (ground) meaty tomato sauce.
Cold cucumber-yogurt soup.
Butternut squash soup with ginger.
Deviled eggs.

 

[pepperhead212]

While getting my implants, especially in the beginning, I made a lot of lentil dishes - not just dal, but many non-Indian foods, as well. Cooked until totally softened, sometimes with quinoa, and other things that softened well, like butternuts and sweet potatoes, I had to chew them very little.

 

[taxlady]

Is she is up for eating soup in summer, there are lots of soups that don't need any chewing and others that could be pureed. I make a very filling, very tasty soup of root vegis, garlic, onion, and hot peppers (to taste), all roasted and then simmered in coconut milk and pureed.

 

[dragnlaw]

watch the spices

Also double check with her on spices and even some of the stronger herbs.

Two of my friends having had chemo found ALL spices extremely spicy, one of them to the point where we couldn't use any at all.

One of them is still slowly adding them back in and her chemo was almost a year ago.

 

[skilletlicker]

I can eat most things pretty well without my dentures. Truth is I prefer to eat without them. Most soups, stews, casseroles, and sandwiches are fine. What doesn't work is crunch or tough. So cabbage, carrot, and crunchy bread crusts are problematic but those problems can be overcome with choices made in the grocery store or over the stove. Onions need to be either in small pieces or cooked very soft. Crunchy salads don't work. Cooked greens, even tough ones like collards are fine. I can't eat raw carrots unless they are finely shredded. The large holes on a box grater aren't fine enough unless they a softened with at least a short saute.

Thick meats cooked quickly don't work but thin slices, braises, or anything that makes the meat "shreddable" is just fine. Crispy bacon needs to in small pieces.

Was reluctant to post this because while it is something I've thought about and experimented with it a lot in the last couple years, I doubt it is much help to anyone else.

 

[jennyema]

I made cooked pudding for a recipe the other day and could eat the leftovers for days and days

 

[Janet H]

How recently have the implants been placed? and are the healing caps exposed ( look like little metal cylinders), or is the gum tissue completely covering the implants at the point ?

I don't know the answer but she expects to have limited chewing capacity/ability for several months so maybe is at the beginning of the rebuild process?

There are some good suggestion in this thread - keep em coming. Today I'm making some baked cauliflower with cheese sauce - the veg was pre steamed so be soft (sort of a riff on mac and cheese) and packing it up in several microwaveable containers.

 

[larry_stewart]

Soft is key, as the bone has to bond/ integrate to the implant. The implant is slightly fixated to the bone when initially placed, but extreme forces can make them move which is no good. This could cause the implants to fail. Kinda like you need cement to harden before you can build on it. Same with implants, need them too integrate to the bone before you can load them ( With teeth/ occlusal forces). In general, the lowers heal quicker than the upper ( Due to bone quality and density), but still take months before they can be loaded.

Sometimes the implants are " Buried" under the gums during the initial healing phase. Then are exposed when it's time to restore. Benefit of this is the implants aren't exposed to the oral environment, more protected from bacteria and slightly cushioned from forces. It does require an extra surgical step ( uncovering them). Other times, the healing caps are exposed ( look like little metal cylinders). Got to be careful not to chew on these ( especially in the beginning) to let the implants heal properly.

Its a long , expensive process, but will be worth it in the end.

 

[skilletlicker]

Thanks for that post, Larry. I learned more about implants for sure. Without doubt, Janet's friend ought not be working her gums the way I do mine.

Don't expect I'm doing myself any harm though. If I'm wrong about that I hope Larry will tell me so.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

1. Cornbread
2.
cornbread, or bread dressing
3. rice pudding
4. Cooked rice in Chicken broth with vermicelli ground beef, diced onion, and sliced celery. Dress with butter.
5. Winter squash, baked with butter, salt, and pepper
6. mashed, with brown sugar, and butter7/ Home made pate', or terrine
7. Tender pot pie
8. chicken and biscuit style dumplings
9. Tomato-Seafood aspics
10. Gazpacho
11. Sloppy Joes
q2. Slow braised country- style ribs, smothered in onion
12. Pulled pork
13. Twice baked potatoes
14. Spaghetti Pie
15. Stuffed Manicotti
16.lasagna
17. Ham salad
18. egg salad on soft white bread
19. tuna-melt
20. Open faced sandwiches with smashed spuds and gravy
21' Meatloaf with a little extra bread crumb to make it tender
22. Salisbury steak with gravy
23. well cooked baked beans
24.Corn pudding
25. Zucchini/summer squash bread
26. Fried, skinless apple slices with brown sugar, and butter, served hot alongside ice cream.

There's a few ideas for you.

Chief Longwind of the North

 

[larry_stewart]

Thanks for that post, Larry. I learned more about implants for sure. Without doubt, Janet's friend ought not be working her gums the way I do mine.

Don't expect I'm doing myself any harm though. If I'm wrong about that I hope Larry will tell me so.

In your situation, as long as you dont draw blood, you should be fine Whatever works best for you.

 

[Termy]

The key is soup, real soup. Like go get some beef and beef bones, if you don't want to put them in the oven to brown up a bit then fry them in pan. Then boil alot with the things to make broth, by leaf(es), carrots, celery, onions, garlic.(not trimmed nice) Give that 10-15 hours and strain it. Then put in your nice veggies and let them boil.

Chicken soup, use leg quarters - TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

Meatball soup, if that's all you have. Meatballs, with the usual onion, the other stuff, you know Then comes the veggies. No need to make a broth first, just use that skinner to descum it.

Ham and bean soup. Ham hock, fry or bake/broil. Water, boil. Once a little taste comes add the rest of the ham. Add onion, garlic, bay now. Let that boil a bit. Then add beans and cook them for whatever days they say. (not really, you get them ready) Simmer and after 24 hours put in the veggies.

That is the elaborate way, it can be done in a couple of hours, canned beans, whatever.

Mac-n-cheese with ham.

You may see meat as a common thing here, and for good reason it is. The body needs protein to repair the damage surgery does. All surgery is injury, it is a matter of degree.

T

 

[cjmmytunes]

You may see meat as a common thing here, and for good reason it is. The body needs protein to repair the damage surgery does. All surgery is injury, it is a matter of degree.

T

When my Mom had hip replacement surgery, they included and Ensure High Protein with all of her meals and while she was in rehab. Also while in rehab after the aneurysm.

 

[Termy]

Imagine all the flesh cutting during that operation. If cut in different place it may have been fatal.

And an aneurysm ? I've heard of that from a copper deficiency.

T

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Janet, it's summer and it's hot, even by you. I think it's a perfect excuse to make ice cream the main food group in all of her meals. On a more nutritious note, our son got a juicer when he had his jaw wired shut for about six weeks. (Some punks jumped him for his phone and broke his jaw. ) He was able to keep hunger away with the juicer and also some creative blending in his standard blender.

Good wishes to your friend while recovering.

Imagine all the flesh cutting during that operation. If cut in different place it may have been fatal...

Well aren't you a bucket full of good cheer.

Nowadays, minimally invasive hip surgery can been done with an incision as small as 1 1/2 inches. A friend had her second hip surgery a year or two ago. She went home (not rehab, home) two days after surgery. Needed a little help with her shopping and such, but was almost back to pre-surgery mobility after two-three weeks.

 

[larry_stewart]

Unless its an " All on 4 " Procedure, it is ( in most cases) not as invasive as you think, and in some cases just a "Punch" incision.

Although possible, it's extremely unlikely to hit any vital vessels with proper preoperative scans and planning.

In addition, a thorough medical history is done ( or should be ) prior to any dental surgery.