Liquid Diet After Jaw Surgery

After oral surgery, a liquid diet is often the focus of your diet. Blended and pureed foods often need to be thin enough to pass through a straw or your teeth and easily swallowed. Though the types of food you eat must change for several weeks, your body requires the same nutrition and vitamins for proper bone and tissue healing, advises the Oral Facial Surgery Center. When eating the correct foods and amounts, weight loss often does not surpass 15 pounds. If you feel your weight loss is becoming severe, discuss your diet with a medical doctor or health professional.

Ingredients

Just as before your jaw was broken, your diet should still contain foods from all major food groups. Focus on protein- and calorie-rich foods such as meats and dairy foods. Meats may be pureed and enjoyed with tomato sauce, gravy or thinned with broth. Mix in peas, corn or carrots and blend for additional nutrients. Dairy is high in both protein and calories. Melt cheese and add to soups and stews. Mix in half and half or cream to breakfast cereals and blend. Don’t forget fresh or canned fruit. Experiment with different flavors such as honey, instant coffee, mint, nutmeg and cinnamon to flavor food.

Losing Weight

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When you feel you are beginning to lose too much weight, it is time to add extra protein and calories to your diet. According to Dr. Frederick Steinbeck, weight loss should not exceed 10 percent of your body weight. Add heavy creams or substitute half and half for milk in recipes to add calories. Cook with extra butter, margarine and oils. Mix in a dollop of sour cream, pureed cottage cheese or melted cheese into soups or blended vegetables. If you are craving sweets, mix together ice cream, instant breakfast beverage powders and fruit. Don't forget to drink dietary supplements such as Ensure, Boost or SlimFast throughout the day. These beverages have high amounts of both protein and calories to increase weight.

Beverages to Avoid

Not all beverages are ideal when on a broken jaw diet. Even though most patients are on a full-liquid diet, some liquids will only fill you up and provide zero nutritional components. Avoid empty calorie beverages such as sodas, coffee and tea. Instead focus on milk and 100 percent fruit juices. Don’t forget to sip on water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated as it heals.

Extra Diet Guidelines

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Plan on eating every two to three hours instead of three times a day. Try to keep your meals low volume. Most people will get tired of drinking three to four cups of liquid each meal, advises the Oral Facial Surgery Center. Instead, pack in nutrients with additional items such as protein powder, fruit juices, vegetable purees and other items into a one cup mixture. Ask your nutritionist for specific full-liquid diet recipes to learn what types of ingredients to experiment with.