Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Blenderized

I need some help from other parents who tube feed a blenderized diet to their child.

Ashley, though she takes most of her food by mouth, needs some supplemental tube feedings to make sure she is getting enough fluids, fruits and vegetables.  The problem is I don't know which fruits and vegetables to use to make sure she is getting as much nutritional value as possible and as much fiber as possible all the while holding the calories down.

I also don't know if it is better to use fresh fruits and veggies, cook them down, and then blenderize them versus using canned vegetables and fruits.  How much water should I add to the mixtures, and/or do I need to also push water before/after the feeding?  And, are there any fresh vegetables that can be added as-is, e.g. spinach.

I've found some information on sites like Facebook, but most of the information is for children who are exclusively tube fed.  Ashley only receives supplemental feedings.

We are going to meet with a nutritionist (ordered by the endocrinologist at a recent appointment), but the first appointment we could get was not until June.  I just don't want to wait until then.  So, I would love any information you could share.

No comments: