In a post here o Monday, I promised to be back with a bit of the bad news.
It took longer than I thought, but here’s the tale.
Sunday was my first full day out of the hospital. It was also the day we were ferried down to Redwood City and set up in an empty house owned by one of Meda’s sisters. A lifesaver, indeed. But I discovered a problem.
I’m restricted to a pureed diet for at least the next week on orders of my surgeon. And I also need to include meat protein in order to stay on the recovery curve.
But my first attempt to puree and process some ground turkey failed miserably and left me almost despondent.
The instructions seem simple. Cook the meat, then cook it some more. Then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. And, finally, push it through a strainer to remove any remaining tiny lumps. The result is supposed to be a pudding-like, gray or light brown substance that at some level should remind me of meat. Oh, it should also deliver a load of protein as well.
You have to understand. I’ve always been the cook and meal planner in our household. And here post-surgery, nothing had changed.
I had a plan for dinner. It called for a baked potato centerpiece. I would scoop out the center of the potato and put it through the puree routine, while Meda would enjoy the skin with various fixings. I had Meda and her sister buy a package of ground turkey, and my plan was to make her a simple turkey patty, while I would cook and puree some ground turkey for myself. Finally, a serving of green peas on the side. Again, Meda got the real deal, which I looked forward to pureed pea mush.
The problem is that although I had read about the cook, puree, then strain process to get a pudding-like consistency for my meal, I had never done it. And, it seems, I hadn’t thought it through enough.
This is where things quickly went downhill.
It proved impossible to create the two versions of this meal and have any chance of plating them about the same time so that Meda and I could eat together while our food was warm. And with three foods to cook, puree, and then strain, my side of the meal was much more complex than I realized. One issue is that we have very limited cutlery and dishes, and dish washing soap as well. Each stage of each food required me to stop, rinse and wash the implements from the prior stage, and begin again.
But things went from disappointing to disastrous when I was unable to properly puree and strain the ground turkey. And that means that unless I solve this problem, I have only limited ways to get the protein boost from eating meat.
I’ve tried to request additional information from a dietician at UCSF on the puree and strain process when meat is involved, and so far haven’t received anything that takes into account the problem I’ve run into. Instead, I was offered a video chat on Thursday morning (“The first appointment available,” they said).
One option is strained, Stage 1, baby food. My problem is 50 years of nursing elderly and sick cats feeding meat baby food from my finger. The smell is inextricably tied to the sad memories of sadder days. I now have samples of three different meat baby foods, and I’ll just have to test my ability to get past all of that.
Today I’ll get some canned chicken breast delivered. May it will be more cooperative.
THe nuclear option is a company, Mom’s Meals, that produces a variety of meals in categories corresponding to medical restrictions. On category is made up of pureed meals. I looked up the medical standard the company says its pureed meals meet or exceed. But when I sent what I thought was a simple question—is a meal prepared to this standard consistent with my dietary restrictions—I was again referred to Thursday’s Zoom meeting.
I’ve been loading up on commercial and homemade protein shakes until they must be oozing out of my pores.
I’m hoping that a delivery from Mom’s Meals will solve my problem. But I have to wait until tomorrow (Thursday) to get the official word.
Discover more from i L i n d
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Ian,
It is frustrating when tasks that were routine and even enjoyable, like meal preparation, become chores. Hand off the work to Meda for now. She will assist, I’m sure.
And, consider buying Ensure or other high protein supplements like it. They are pricey but simple and not half bad.
I’ve been chugging those protein drinks as often as possible!
Im no nutritionist nor dietician, but I and my family have been vegetarian for 38 years and have had numerous surgeries, where muscle and. tissue rebuilt very well without animal protein. Ive never heard of someone specifically needing meat protein (vs non animal based complete protein) for recovery. But I have heard of a lot of medical doctors not understanding plant based diets. There are plenty of non animal based foods that are complete proteins, healthier overall, better tasting in whole form and pureed, and have equal or more complete protein per ounce than animal meat. For example, one ounce of animal meat has in the range of 7 grams of protein. One ounce of organic hemp seeds from Costco has 9-10 grams of complete protein. Spirulina, which you can also get from Costco has about 15 grams of complete protein per ounce. Seitan from a health food store has about 7 grams per ounce. And more. Maybe there is a specific reason that it has to be meat protein, given your diagnosis etc. But you might run these and other non-animal based options by your doctor to see what s/he thinks. Sending best wishes for a thorough and quick recovery.
Given all you’ve been through, and it’s a lot, find the easiest way through this. Don’t underestimate how hard this has been for both of you. Going through your regimen of cooking feels like, while it may be somewhat therapeutic, it’s too much. Use the caterer as much as possible. If you feel a need to cook, do easy stuff. All that grinding and washing! Seriously! Find an easier way and grab it.
Welcome to the world of losing independence.
That does sound like a lot of hassle. Isn’t baby food already puréed meat and vegetables? Also, are you allowed to eat liver? Braunschweiger is close to being pureed. Hope you find a smoother way to do this and fall into an easy routine. And I hope you return to real food real soon.
poi?
My first pureed chicken and green beans after a medical incident brought me to tears. Everything you mentioned – rigamarole, it not working, feeling helpless and like it will last forever, eating 50 servings of baby food as an adult…. It made me not want to eat at all, on top of being physically compromised and pained
I started with ultraprocessed foods, like very finely ground meat/veggie balls from the frozen food section – unfortunate but necessary compromise to the “whole foods” ideal. I put Chef Boyardee ravioli through a Ninja/Bullet, mixed cake mix with milk and protein powder, invented an oatmeal+kefir mush (cream of rice works too and has tons of iron) and squirted all such concoctions into my mouth with a massive syringe…might as well have used a cake piping bag or a caulking gun, looking back on it.
Anyway the tiny but mighty blender with multiple cups and blades really helped. Baby food is better now and comes in pouches so you don’t have to smell it as much.
OMG Ian! What an absolute drag! You don’t need the added stress. You have definitely been through enough stress already…and you must be starving for a decent meal about now! I’m in total agreement with Gary – hand all meals, including Meda’s, off to the caterer until you see the Dr. And never mind the zoom meetings!
I think a heavy-duty, granite mortar and pestle would do most or all of what you need to have done.
But very tedious when dealing with several foods….
Ian,
Just between us, try cooking congee ( juk). In chicken broth boil cooked white rice to a smooth consistency. ( simmer 10-15 minutes ) Top with boiled shredded chicken- pull it apart. Tenderloin is the softest part. You can pull it apart with your fingers and mash the shredded chicken with your fingers. Chicken tenders are quick to cook, shred, and mash.
Turkey is too tough.
Good luck
Veronica
Hi Ian
I am sorry its such a hassle to blend the food etc. I can imagine as I’m on week 3 of “soft food” following a diverticulitis event with 1 night hospitalization at Castle. Hopefully the delivery and catering service will fit the bill for you for the next week or so until you feel up to such a challenging project as making meals.
I want to tell you about a protein drink that I like and is easy to find. Its called “Pioneer Pastures” and can be bought at Target and even on Amazon. There is Vanilla and Chocolate. They have NO chemicals !! I cannot have any chemicals in my food so this has been a lifesaver through implant procedures this past year and now the diverticulitis healing. They have 30g of protein, tasty (the vanilla is awesome and the chocolate is good too) little sugar and I do feel the hit of protein.
Thinking of you
Carol
Time to let Meda take care of you. You need to focus on healing. Not stressed about meals. You’re lucky you have a caring wife. Many of us aging boomers do not. It may be a shifting of roles for a time but I’m sure she can handle it.
How about a simple pot of soup with all the ingredients and then blending that? You will have two versions in the end result, more moisture content, and the least chances of overcooking vital nutrients and enzymes.
That might be a winner!
A food mill is small, portable and a useful tool after you get back to solid food. It has milling discs, manual crank, & no sharp parts like food processors. Easy to clean and less messy to use. We even used one when eating out with the kiddies. Just ground up whatever we were eating. Grind meats and veggies into paste, then add broth or water for desired consistency. Puréed steak is actually pretty awesome!