Purées

I have dysphagia as a result of radiotherapy treatment and on a puree diet. I am looking for ideas/ inspiration for puree meals, particularly savoury (there are plenty of sweet options available). I trawl the web for help but there is very little, thanks

kevp
  • Posted by: kevp
  • February 28, 2019
  • 1929 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

Ttrockwood March 1, 2019
If you look for pureed soups that will help you find more options.
Some ideas:
- this red lentil soup, omit the cayanne if spicy bothers you. Just simmer on the stove about an hour if you don’t have a slow cooker
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/02/slow-cooker-lebanese-red-lentil-soup.html

- this broccoli cheddar soup is easy and filling
https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/09/broccoli-cheddar-soup/

- this white bean garlic soup is really fast to put together
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tuscan-white-bean-and-garlic-soup-recipe-1947192

- classic potato leek soup
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/01/best-potato-leek-soup-recipe.html

 
inpatskitchen February 28, 2019
Do a recipe search on this site for purees and/or pureed soups. You'll find many recipes for savory dishes.
 
Lori T. February 28, 2019
Although you are definitely not a baby, homemade baby food recipes would be a place to start. With a good food processor, you would be surprised at what you can reduce to a puree. Meats will be among the biggest challenges, but poached chicken or fish are fairly easy and tasty if you use broth as the liquid for processing. Ground meats will also usually puree fairly well if gently cooked or poached in meatball form. You could add in whatever seasonings you can tolerate as well. Noodles and grains of all sorts will also puree if overcooked. They also make and sell molds for pureed foods, so while the food itself is pureed it can be given a shape appropriate to the food and make it look more appealing. That way you feel a bit less like you are on a baby food diet. Thinning out the puree is usually fairly easy, thickening not so much. That can be done with mashed potato flakes, baby cereal, or by using a modified food starch like Clear Gel. That comes in both a to be cooked form and an instant form. The instant form is very useful, as things don't have to brought to a boil to activate it, and it can be used for cold or room temperature foods.
 
Gammy February 28, 2019
My condolences to you and hope you are on your way to being healthy again. My sister also had this same condition following radiation and found that soups and very soft foods could be easily pureed with an immersion blender. This allowed her to sometimes have the same foods for dinner as the rest of her family, just with a different texture. This was about 5 years ago and she has been able to slowly transition back to most foods, although anything especially dry and/or crunchy still sometimes gives her trouble. Carrying a water bottle with her everywhere and frequently swigging a mouthful helped with her dry mouth.
 
Stephanie G. February 28, 2019
What about pureed root vegetables? I love a butternut squash puree. I like to add parmesan and sage if that's ok for you.
 
HalfPint February 28, 2019
I would recommend making rice porridge with either chicken, bone, or fish/seafood broth. This was "sick" food that my mother would make for us whenever we were under the weather, not hungry but still needed to eat. It was soft and liquid-y like a puree and easy to digest. When you make it with a flavorful stock or broth, it's like a whole meal; rich and savory. I could eat bowls and bowls of it in one sitting.
 
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