Help with Food Ideas, Please

My daughter had hers out last year she was 2yrs 9mths at the time. Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and pasta. Also don't use straws or sippy cups that are spill proof. They have to suck to hard which could cause bleeding. Good luck it gets easier after the first 2 days.

A few suggestions - first is to try soups that he might like (if he likes squash, butternut squash soup should be good), second is to add milk powder to milkshakes/icecream shakes. I've had cauliflower prepared like whipped/mashed potatoes and they were excellent - possibly overcooked pasta would work well.
Take care & best wishes for a speedy recovery.

For protein you could try tofu or mashed chick peas. I've never had or known anyone who's had their tonsils out, so I don't really know what are definite no-no's, but can you just give him anything mashed? Maybe bananas and mashed potatoes? Do you have a baby food grinder? How long does he need to be on a liquid diet?

Hi C.,

My 5 year old just had his Toncils and Adnoids removed on March 18. i too had concerns of what to give him to eat and to drink. My ENT said popsicles, frozen slush drinks chicken /beef broth plain or with tiny pasta like Pastina or Orzo. For drinks we gave him gatorade, tea, water aven the flavor water he liked to drink. we were told to stay away from creamy stuff it coats the throat, so no ice cream right away we waited a few days. The main thing is to make sure he drinks alot so that he does not get dehydrated, dont worry about pushing food right away, he may not want to eat, in a week or two his appetite will be back to normal, and back to his normal self. My sons voice changed alittle and were told he would lose some weight after this and have a growth spurt, he has stopped snoring at bed time and getting the sleep he needs, Dont worry you know your child and you will get him thru this, I hope this helps, A. maddix ( let me know how you make out )

Hi there, my daughter just got her adnoids removed in February. Let me tell you they just bounce right back! Your son will basically be taking in ice cream, popsicles, pudding, jello, yogurt, and plenty of fluids for the first couple of days. When it comes to solids he will let you know when he is capable of swallowing. Don't worry if you think he will be malnurished with so much ice cream as long as he has plenty of vitamin C or fluids, he will surely be ok! Before you know he will be asking for solids. By day 3 my 7yr. old daughter couldn't even look at ice cream.

My nephew had to have his out about a month before he turned 3! He loved intant mashed potatoes!

Hi,
My son went through the same thing right before Christmas and he just turned 4 last month so I know how you feel. Sometimes the really cold stuff isn't the best for them. Luke warm, or cool stuff is best. Try mashed potatoes, jello, cottage cheese (after a day or two), pudding, broth or soup (noodles), oatmeal. After a few days, soft cheese, bologna, spaghetti, bread. Your doctor should also give you a list of suggested food and what to avoid (ie chips, etc.). One thing you defintely want to avoid is the use of straws for 2 full weeks. That's a tough one for kids to understand but it's really important so that they don't disturb the area or dislodge the scabs. I know how unsettling the surgery can be but trust me, kids bounce back so quickly. My son came home that afternoon and made jello himself, at his request. He celebrated Christmas 5 days later as if nothing had happened. Good luck!!!

Hi C.,

Some ideas are cream of wheat, yogurt, smoothies, spaghetti O's, soup, applesauce (even baby food in a pinch). When my son went from baby food to table food he didnt want anything he had to chew... It was very frustrating. So I would put anything I made for dinner in the food processor for him until he got over it. I hope this list helps. Good luck!

M.

What about oatmeal or any hot cereal, soup. . . best if made from home made broth. You can cook vegetables so they get very soft and either puree it or mash them so they are in smaller pieces.

Hope that helps. . .

Hi! C. . . You will be surprised how good this is , even as it sounds
odd:
veggie shake:
~ one cucumber
~ one leaf of kale ( or collards)
~ one zuccini
~ 1/4 advocao . . . And spin in blender till smooth
or a bit chunky

fruit smootie:
~ 1 pear, 1 apple, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk & 1 beet
same process . .

These are sweet and delicious and very nutricous
better for healing than sugar stuff . .
Experiment, till you find a taste you all like
be creative . .
Also the health food stores have pre prepared
protien & or " green mixs " . . When i am in a hurry
i just add banana, blueberries etc and off i go
good luck, D. l . .

Hi there! Not to make this harder for you....but I had my tonsils out as an adult and they wouldn't let me have any dairy (ice cream,pudding,etc.). It actually sticks to the throat and they don't recommend it. They recommended jello,popsicles, cold drinks. I liked Italian ice. It is hard because you really can't have anything that's very filling. Just watery stuff. But it's only a short time and then I was eating mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. But I thought I would pass that info along so you can plan accordingly if that's what your child's doctor recommends too.

Soup, mashed potatoes, rice pudding rather than regular puddings.

Watch the textures though, swallowing is rough so the items with the least resistence work best.

My mom put broth in a mug or gave my brother and I hot jello which for some reason was very soothing.

Good luck!

I remember that slices of ham (sandwich meat what we used to call boiled ham) felt really good after I had mine taken out.

Try broths...chicken broth, etc. More nutritious than ice cream =)

Yogurt (frozen & regular), applesauce, soup, mashed potatoes (mix 2 to 1 with sweet potatoes) - you can often buy Boston Market in Stop & Shop if you don't want to make your own, smoothies made with soy milk or rice milk with fruit in a blender, canned pears cut up (use the ones in pear juice, not heavy syrup), maybe tiny macaroni shells or ditalini (or any small pasta) with cheese. Make popsicles out of pureed fruit or real juice so it's not just sugar water. Sometimes they can manage small amounts of a soft cheese like Laughing Cow. Cottage cheese (small curd) or ricotta with a little flavoring, even chocolate - you can get a low-sugar one in the health food store. Tofutti non-dairy ice cream substitute - sometimes in the health food frozen case but not with the regular ice cream. Save the water from steamed vegetables and use it to make anything that absorbs all the water, like rice or small grain cous cous (It's wasted on noodles or pasta.) I've been doing that for years - it has nothing to do with tonsils!

Be absolutely sure that your child needs this surgery. It is overdone in some communities. If your child is having this because of frequent illnesses, vs. obstruction, consider a nonsurgical choice such as Reliv nutritional supplements.

Good luck - hope things go well.

My son had his tonsils out when he was 6. We did lots of yogurt. Another thing I discovered what the vegetable peeler. I used it to make very thin slices of fruit which he loved eating. I was able to give him plenty of fruits.....apples, pears, watermelon, etc. Good luck.

How about the Ensure nutritional drinks, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, mushy kraft mac & cheese (i.e., cook the noodles a long time), applesauce, mashed turnip with butter, farina with honey on top, Lipton package (box) noodle soup (the noodles are straight and thin and small), mashed sweet potato. Good luck!

Let's see...

applesauce, yogurt, squash, mashed potatoes, creamy soup, fruit smoothies, and scrambled eggs are what come to my mind first. Hope that helps!

when i had my tonsils out (I was 16), I lived on baby cereal, oatmeal sweetened of course and jello i think, it goes down pretty easy! good luck!

Already lots of great responses. I also wanted to add that jarred baby food is pre-pureed, and smoother/creamier than my blender makes it. That said, ice cream is great because it is high calorie, which 4 year olds need. Nutritionally, I think whatever he wants to eat is the way to go, and if that's ice cream or pudding for two days, that's okay.
Good luck,
M.

I am trying to recall things I ate after my wisdom teeth came out as the diet needed to be similar...
Mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes,applesauce (they have several blended kinds too),lasagna with more sauce - to overcook the noodles so they are soft, soups (you may need to check on them as sometimes they go down with out chewing and may need to be chewed (ie vegetables, etc), you can make smooties with fruit and yogurt/ice cream, yogurt....the meat is a hard one to do as pureed is not a big hit but ther a few things here with protein in them.
Good luck!!

My son had his adnoids out at the same age. I think we were more tramatized than he was. He asked for a Wendy's Frosty, and had lots of popsicles and jello, but honestly, I think he was eating regular food after 24 hours. Good luck!

what about really smooth mashed potatoes? yogurt? any chance he would eat blended veggies? peas taste just the same when they are mashed up.

Hi, C.,
My 9-year-old has just recuperated from the same surgery--very well, I might add. Although the second day and on for a while were unnerving because she got quite sore, after about a week she became hungry enough to eat more. Then, she ate a lot of macaroni and cheese, to which I added extra American. Oatmeal was another favorite from early on, although you'll want to wait a few days.

On a related note, the "munchkin" sounding voice is best overcome by talking. The more he talks, the more quickly that will return to normal, too. Good luck! L.

I freeze those yogart tubes. My kids love them and at least there is some nutrition in it.

Hello C.,

My daughter had this surgery a few years ago. To my surprise she recovered a lot quicker than I thought she would! So I wish you the best of luck. Anyhow, try foods like applesauce, scrambled eggs-cut up small, oatmeal that has a little more milk or water in it to thin it out, yogurt, soft bananas, and after a day or so mac & cheese. If your son is anything like my daughter was, he will surprise you and will probably be on liquids for only a day or two. (Which will be just fine) My daughter loved having "as many popsicles as she wanted" when she got home! Think about making popsicles w/ fruit juice or yogurt ahead of time if you are worried about the regular ones. They also have 100% juice popsicles and no sugar popsicles at the stores.
I am sure your doctor will tell you if he only gets liquids for a few days he will be fine! He will be really tried and won't have much of an appetite which is normal!
I hope this helps and I will prayer for you and your son.

Blessings,
M.

Just in case he doesn't make the vitamin/protein intake, you could pick up some of the pediasure drinks :)

HI Cher
my son had tonsils out a couple years ago. I gave him everything normal just cooked soft. Bananas, applesauce, canned fruit. Mashed potatoes, canned veggies, PB&J, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches. He could even have cookies or crackers if he dunks them in milk. Trust your son, he will be able to tell you if he's having trouble swallowing something. don't worry about his loss of protein this soft diet only lasts for 2 weeks.
I aso suggest gargling with salt water it will definitely help his throat feel better and heal faster.

I'm not sure if this will help, but you can puree regular food in a blender so that it is in an almost liquid form, I did this with a few things when I got my wisdom teeth out. I have a small vegetable chopper that I used to grind the regular food up as much as possible and than I mixed with a little water or milk. It definately doesn't taste the same and with a 4 yr old who is probably a picky eater to begin with, it may not work. You may want to try baby foods if you're looking for more nutritional value as opposed to ice cream and popsickles.