I need your help today. As you know, I had oral surgery yesterday. Not only did it take ALL DAY (which we were not anticipating) but YOWZAH my mouth hurts. Also, I sound like a crazy person when I talk. Just ask Helen Jane. I called her last night to get some help on work and she literally laughed when she first heard me. Rightly so, my friends, rightly so. Don’t feel bad for me. If you were Helen Jane, you would have laughed, too.
Anyway, back to the help-from-you part. I have to “eat” a liquid diet for two days and then soft foods for one week. I’ve got chicken broth, green smoothies (thanks, Cherisse!) and ice cream all ready to go, but certainly there must be other options, right? So, I’m coming to you for advice. Share your best ideas for liquid and soft meals…especially if you’ve been in this boat in the past and have experience. And if you have strong opinions on things I should not eat at this time, share those, too!
Our goal is to create the greatest liquid and soft foods list in the world! Pretty awesome goal, eh? When some poor soul like me searches “liquid and soft foods to eat after oral surgery,” I want them to find your beautiful and comprehensive list. It’s a public service we’re performing here, folks. Now, share those ideas!
Hello! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and then count on you to share your own! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
Too bad you don’t live closer to Seattle, because I have a freezer full of homemade baby food that I’m sure my 10-month old would love to share! I just put a big batch of slow-cooker chicken and dumplings through the food processor last night.
I hope you feel better soon! I had six wisdom teeth (yes, I know, I’m a freak of nature) and went through some pretty wicked oral surgery several years ago. I lived on pistachio pudding and super-smooth mashed potatoes — more of a potato puree, rather.
I wish I lived closer so I could steal your baby’s food, too!
Oh love!
Sometimes a giggle is all we can muster when things (in your case) get so piled-atop-crazy.
Sending you all the best healing thoughts — my favorite softies from my mouthwork included acorn squash soup and mashed potatoes.
Avoid clam chowder, those clams can be murder on tender gums.
I’ve got squash in the oven now…
And I also have clam chowder in the fridge, but will promptly put it in the freezer for later!
How about some soft polenta/grits? I can remember from my various oral surgeries and from when my husband and son had their tonsils out recently that most readily available soft foods are sweet. I did a lot of mashing and blending of regular foods for them so they could get some savory and protein. you can also add protein powder to oatmeal or other foods if you’re feeling particularly weak/depleted. Oh, and avoid citrus and tomatoes, those sting!
best of luck for a speedy recovery.
you’re so right, so many of the soft foods are sweet. today I drank some chicken broth and it was like heaven just because it was salty! thanks for the good suggestions
Lots of soups can be put in the blender and turn out great. Chickpea leek is a favorite around here, really anything with beans or lentils would work well. Honestly I often mean to do this just because I like it.
Pudding, mashed potatoes (white or sweet), yogurt, milkshakes, aforementioned soups, soft poached eggs, cream of wheat.
I tried all of these with good success after I got my wisdom teeth out a few years ago! Hopefully they’ll add some variety to your diet!
First few days:
Mashed potatoes (or yams, or sweet potatoes, or butternut squash)
Split pea soup
Jello (you can make some pretty interesting flavors using gelatin packets & fresh fruit)
Tofu (i like it plain, uncooked mixed up with some teriyaki…that may just be me, though)
I would also suggest throwing in some silken tofu with smoothies for added protein over the next few days!
When you’re a bit healed up:
Pastina (that tiny, tiny, tiny pasta!) Just make sure you cook it well!
Scrambled eggs
Sauteed spinach, just make sure to chop it really finely first
love this specific list from when you went through something similar – SO helpful, thank you!
Pioneer woman’s butternut squash lures is SO good, and I like cauliflower put in the food processor with coconut oil and salt–kind of a mashed potato substitute.
As for what NOT to eat, when you start feeling better ahead of schedule, do NOT try to eat a steak. I learner the hard way the night after I had my wisdom teeth out that no matter how good I thought I was feeling, I was not ready for that type of chewing.
Lures=puree
ha ha! I actually couldn’t figure out lures…I knew it was something else!
After a miserable seven days of liquid, I had no groceries and foraged through the pantry shared with my roommates.
I made mashed potatoes and topped it with canned Hormel chili. I don’t like chili much, especially from a can (gross!…but soft!), but this really hit the spot (once I was able to manage soft food).
SEVEN days of liquid?!?! that would be miserable!!!!
After my son got braces, he couldn’t chew for the first few days as his jaw was so sore. I didn’t relish a growing teenage boy existing on sugar alone, so I went back to his favorite baby foods.
Mashed kiwi sweetened with mashed bananas
zucchini sliced and steamed with garlic and Parmesan
Roasted bell pepper puree over creamy polenta
cottage cheese with applesauce
Feel better soon!
When I had my tonsils out I had to eat soft foods for 2 weeks. Not sure if the diet is the same or not, but some of my favorites were mashed potatoes and gravy, scrambled eggs, cream of wheat, and pierogies (boiled not pan friend. I hope you feel better soon!
two of you mentioned cream of wheat – I always forget about that stuff and I loved it as a kid – putting it on the shopping list!
THANK YOU everyone for so many great suggestions – seriously, every comment is so helpful. thank you thank you!
please keep it coming!
Hummus straight up from a spoon
I made pistaschio pudding last night (and by making, I mean whisking milk and pudding mix together)…and it was really good!
okay, I need to try pistachio pudding – everyone keeps mentioning it!
Unfortunately, I can contribute to this list. I somehow contracted what my doc believed to be hand foot and mouth disease when I was 7 months pregnant and it was mostly all centered in my mouth! I was on a full liquid diet for 8 days, which would not have been bad had I not been 7 months pregnant! I lived on the following things:
1. Soups, fully pureed. My hubby did not know what an immersion blender was before but he sure knew what one was after I was healed. 2. Ice cream and milkshakes, but I was really sensitive to temperatures so by the time I could stand it, it was more like soup 3. Yogurts 4. Mashed potatoes 5. Jello 6. Ensure drinks, only because I kept losing weight and my doc made me drink 3 a day
Once I started feeling a little better, it was on to refried beans, rice, mac and cheese, applesauce, oatmeal, cottage cheese and other soft, but more nutrtious foods.
I hope your liquid diet does not last as long or is as painful as mine was. The first thing I ate when I felt better was a donut because I had made the mistake of watching a donut special on the food network while I was sick and those donuts were all I could think of. Give yourself some motivation by thinking of your healed meal…maybe it will help!
that sounds completely miserable, erin! I’m in sort of the same boat – still breastfeeding and feeling like I really need to get nourishment and fluid into my system. luckily my liquid diet phase is only 2 days…8 seems so hard!!!
thanks for all the great suggestions…so helpful!
oh, and I love the idea of planning out my first real meal to look forward to!
How about some mashed carrots? I peel, then boil the carrots and some onion until they’re super soft, then add a tablespoon or so of honey, ginger, and however much of chopped cilantro. It’s yummy!
My husband discovered that mashed potatoes could be flavored up with all kinds of stuff when he has his wisdoms removed. Bacon/ Cheese/ Herbs
Cottage Cheese with sweet or savory additions.
Cream soups
Miso Soup
Avocado
Mashed Beans
Pureed Squash
Feel Better!
I had my wisdom teeth out when my third child as 5 months old and went into the surgeon’s office feeling pretty confident I would make it through the recovery period…until I had to sign a paper saying I WOULD NOT USE A STRAW FOR A WEEK!!! I honestly just about walked out of the office! What was I going to do?? It was awful. I like fruit smoothies but was dieing for something savory. Unfortunately I had a kindergartener, toddler, and infant and was at least a thousand miles away from anyone who would help me! I survived on two things…the first was KFC mashed potatoes and gravy (drive-thru KFC made this possible even when I was not dressed), the second thing I did was to buy the best canned soup possible and drink/spoon slurp the liquid. Any homemade pureed soup would be great but at that time in my life having that kind of time was a luxury! I remember being so hungry for solid food I could’ve CRIED! I hope you’re back to crunching in no time!
I can’t even tell you how happy I am I’m allowed to use a straw, it makes all the difference!!!
Oh I am so sorry! Oral surgery just bites the big one! No pun intended actually! I don’t have much to contribute, but wanted to stop by and say hello and I hope you are feeling better soon!
ha ha!
and thanks so much
I hope you feel better soon!
I had oral surgery when I was 15 and was on a liquid/soft foods diet for 6 weeks. It was LONG! I remember eating a lot of broth/soup, ice cream and carnation/slim fast type instant breakfast drinks. Eventually I really missed eating good food and convinced my parents to get some lo mein from our favorite Chinese restaurant so I could taste the noodles and then swallow them without chewing. (gross, I know)
The one thing that still makes me gag was when my mom ground mac and cheese into a semi-liquid form. It was disgusting and after that she mostly let me decide what to eat!
semi-liquid mac & cheese sounds like child abuse to me!
6 weeks is a LONG time, by the way. glad you survived!
I know this might be late…
1. Mashed potatoes.
2. Rice, cooked with cream of mushroom. I dunno… its a comfort food.
3. Scrambled eggs
4. Pudding.
5. Soup or Chicken and dumplings.
6. Smoothies.
7. Oatmeal.
Good luck. Been there a few times.
What about the pastini with peas from Meal Makeover Moms, it is delicious and super soft! I love all the other ideas!
I would blend regular soup recipes like vegetable soup and chowders. I hope you heal quickly.
Monday-BBQ chicken in crock pot (trying a new recipe from pinterest), roasted cauliflower, cornbread
Tuesday- Potato Bar (eating this at a church function)
Wednesday- Tangy pork chops, butternut squash, roasted asparagus
Thursday- Tacos or taco salad
Friday- Easy Chicken Enchiladas (with green sauce) from cafe johnsonia, salad
Saturday- Italian vegetable soup (my favorite soup recipe), biscuits
Sunday- Spaghetti with marinara & meatballs, green salad