Ellen's Broken Jaw Tips - Basics

These are the basics on how to adjust to your newly wired condition.

Things you can eat

Basic things to get:

A really good blender - see recommendations in FAQ
A strainer - one with fine mesh is best
A water pik
A smoothie recipe book
A mouthwash (like Biotene) and plaque rinse (like Plax) to use daily

Basic things you can eat:

Food	How	Tip
Smoothies	Makes these in your blender. There are many good recipe books and even recipes on line. Some smoothie recipes are provided here.	After blending, some recipes require straining so that pieces don't get caught in your teeth. Extra: I have been told that the Vita-Mix is so good at liquifying foods that additional straining may not be necessary.
Nutritional Drinks	Ensure. Generic brands too.	These are good to take when you are travelling because they don't need to be refrigerated. A cheaper alternative is to make an Instant Breakfast drink. These are a great vitamin source.
Milk Shakes	Makes these in your blender. Ice cream and milk. Mix in a banana or some chocolate syrup for a little variety.	Generally, use plain ice cream. Things with chocolate chips or nuts don't blend well.
Baby Food	From the grocery store. Only buy Level 1 and Level 2 and warm them in the microwave. Then you can slurp these off a spoon.	Favorite: Peach cobbler. I personally couldn't gag down the meats, but it might work for you. The pasta foods were pretty good. (Macaroni and cheese.)
Regular Food	With a Vita-Mix or TotalBlender you can liquify just about anything: chicken, veggies, nuts, spinach, etc. See their websites.	Here are recipes for the Vita-Mix. I found it easier to search for recipes when the "Liquid Diet" option is NOT selected.
Yogurt/Pudding	Just slurp these off a spoon.	Stick to the smooth and creamy types without any chunks of fruit. Dannon's la Creme are very smooth and probably the best tasting yogurt you will ever have! Yumbo!
Soup	Put these in the blender too, then warm them up in the microwave.	Some soups will require straining. I had a lot of success with Campbell's Chunky soups.
Canned Veggies	Put these in the blender and warm them up in the microwave.	Like soup, these may require straining. (Tip from Donna I.)
Mashed Potatoes	Boil potatoes until very tender, then put in blender with extra milk and butter. Warm in the microwave.	For more flavor and variety, try adding cheese and/or bologna. (Tip from Grace K.)
Your own inventions	Once you know what works for you, you will get creative.	Some inventions are provided here.

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