Introduction by Kevin Tighe, Retired Dental Management Guru
As a retired dental management professional, I've seen the challenges patients face after major dental surgeries, particularly when it comes to dietary changes. Finding enjoyable, nutritious soft food options can be daunting.
This article, written by a talented young writer, addresses this challenge with sophistication and practicality. Drawing from personal experience, the writer offers valuable insights into maintaining a soft food diet without sacrificing taste or nutrition.
I invite my Townie friend's to read this piece, provide feedback, and consider its potential as a comprehensive guide.
The Soft Food Diet for the Sophisticated Palette
When I knew for certain that I would be going through a series of major dental surgeries, many things weighed on my mind. Most were aptly handled by the professionals, but the one thing I really had to handle myself was, “How am I going to eat a soft food diet that I will actually enjoy and stay within my personal nutritional needs?” The answers to that question have led me to this labor of love, the soft food diet for the sophisticated palette.
There are many diets that people follow and many reasons for the adherence to that diet, the most common being for religious and/or conscience reasons, specific health concerns, or for athletic performance. I've spent time with those that fit some or even all of those circumstances and must stick to a particular way of eating. I grew up in a religion with some odd but specific dietary guidelines. Some of my close loved ones have suffered from diabetes, kidney failure, celiac disease, Sjogren's disorder, lupus, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia. During my professional career as a massage therapist, I started out working with athletes that did triathlons, which prompted them to eat for peak performance for their body. These experiences have taught me that food is medicine and how we feed our bodies affects the way it and the brain function.
Radically changing your normal diet can be a daunting task. There are plenty of food items that I used to help me get through, especially the first few days immediately following each surgery, that I would not normally allow in my everyday diet. Jello, ice cream, protein shakes, and even a few baby food items were tested in my quest to have a stock of easy, go-to nutrition on hand. It became obvious that I needed to be able to control every ingredient I consumed. Even before the surgery, my body was dealing with inflammation issues that plague many people who consume the typical American diet. I realized that getting back to my love of scratch-made food, but with better ingredients, was the way to move forward. That doesn't mean that I never ate a meal I didn’t make myself, but I did severely limit anything premade or prepackaged. I made sure that all my ingredients were organic or at least certified as free from genetic modifications. I have also been doing everything I could to move to a low-carb, high-protein, yet less meat diet, and I also attempt to stay away from gluten. The recipes in this book reflect that.
I do recommend that you do what is right for you and that you always follow what your doctor, dentist, or other medical professionals treating your specific case advise you. Every body has different nutritional requirements based on your own personal genetic makeup, activity and fitness level, and individual health events or conditions in your own life that may alter what you decide to put into your body. Ultimately, everyone has to decide what is best for themselves.
This collection of recipes is soft, healthy, and really delicious. If you have others to share with, they will enjoy eating these foods, and they are designed to be nutritionally dense. I have personally enjoyed thinking about and transforming foods to get through this chapter of my life, and I will continue to cook and eat these recipes even when I can go back to eating an apple or carrot raw, and you should too!