Here’s another example of the pureed meals from a commercial distributor of meals appropriate for any one of several medically-required diets.

This is described as a pulled pork sandwich with gravy, and a side of creamed corn. That sounded good, but the 10.5 ounce tray required a hefty amount of imagination to tie it back in any way to the underlying foods.

The alleged pork was absolutely tasteless. I ate as much as possible mixed with the small amount of gravy, which saved the day. I found in barely palatable. And when the gravy was used up, I had to abandon the rest. I just couldn’t force myself to keep eating.

The corn was a notch better. It reminded me of uncooked cornbread batter. Somehow it had retained a measure of corn flavor, making it a bit easier for me to relate to.

I know that these carefully prepared and delivered meals are better for me than the alternatives. But some of those alternatives, high calorie and protein shakes blending ice cream, Greek yogurt, fruit, and milk (or a bit of a commercial protein shake) make a tasty and nutritious meal. Sometimes I add a little peanut butter for good measure. Not a balanced diet by any means, but most vegetables are excluded from the pureed diet anyway.

Many of you suggested trying to rescue the pureed meats with creative spices.

Lipstick on a pig, as they say.