It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.
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Ask Dr. Gourmet
Which of your recipes can be pureed?
I just had a hiatal hernia repair and am supposed to be on a liquid/pureed diet for at least a month. Nothing tastes good and short of getting retail baby food, do you have any recipes that are tasty and easily pureed? I am lactose intolerant with GERD and Barrett's esophogus, healing well, but definitely need some protein as I have lost 11 pounds in only 7 days. Thanks so much!
Dr. Gourmet Says...
There a number of options for you. Smoothies can be a good choice for breakfast. Here are two recipes and these have been designed to be GERD friendly:
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Tropical Melon Smoothie
Cream soups are a good choice as well:
Acorn Squash Soup
Borscht
Butternut Squash Soup
Classic Potato Soup
Cream of Fava Bean Soup
Roasted Eggplant Soup
Spring Bisque
There is also a great book for folks on chemotherapy that may help. It's called "Healthy Eating During Chemotherapy." It has a section on smoothly-textured foods that might be helpful.
That should give you a start on tastier eating during your recovery.
Thanks for writing.
Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP
Dr. Gourmet