You have read about blending food for tube feeding, but it can seem way too overwhelming and complicated to implement. How would you make sure you are getting enough calories? What if the blend is too thick or doesn't blend well enough?
How do I ensure the blends contain a variety of nutrients despite some food allergy limitations?
Here at Whole Story Meals we know that starting to blend food for the tube can be intimidating at first, but once you get going and you see the results, you won't ever go back to your standard enteral formula. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
1. Get a GOOD blender! Vitamix and Blendtec are the number one recommendations because they are high powered and don't leave chunks of big food. Blendtec has a medical discount where you can get a refurbished one for only $50. Check out the end of the post for the form.
2. Use a calorie tracker app like Cronometer to track the calories in the blend. Cronometer also gives you estimated macronutrients, which is helpful to make sure you are balancing carbohydrates, fat and protein and meeting any specific needs like high carbohydrates for weight gain or low protein for those with decreased kidney function.
3. Don't overthink it. If there are no tolerance issues, allergens or other restrictions, then just throw what you would eat by mouth in a blender and estimate.
4. Get a supportive team around you. If your healthcare provider isn't on board, then advocate or switch until you find one that is supportive of a blended diet. There are also several Facebook groups and other social media accounts where you can ask questions and get ideas.
5. Get inspiration and guidance from our Blending with Whole Story Meals e-book! This is a great way to either get you started or help if you're in a rut with your blending. These recipes utilize Whole Story Meals to boost calories and increase the variety of foods, are high calories, low volume, and top 8 allergen free. Each recipe comes with a breakdown of the macronutrients and includes suggestions for ingredient substitutions, so blends can be customized to individual needs and preferences.
The hardest part is getting started, so get in the kitchen and start blending!
Get our NEW Blending with Whole Story Meals eBook to add our powders into your home blends to create high calorie, low volume meals with balanced macronutrients.
Whole Story Meals is now available in all 50 states through Lincare and we are always adding more options. Check out our updated list.