Administering Blended Diets and Recipes!

Administering blended diets is a little different than feeding formula.  

Most blended have to be pushed by hand quickly vs using a feeding pump over the course of an hour. 

We use the wider extension (blous) to attach to the mic-key button.  And we use a 60ml syringe to push the blends into the stomach.  We push it thru very quickly because that is what my son prefers.  But some kids need it pushed much slower.  It will also depend on your child and what they prefer and can tolerate.  Once the feeding is finished, we flush the line with 20cc of water.  Water is very important for kids with eb to keep the kidneys healthy.  The amount of water each kid needs depends on their age, weight, and health.  Your child's doctor can tell you how much free what they need daily.  

We feed at normal meal/snack times, to mimic when a child without a gtube would eat.  We don't do overnight feeds, which is common in kids with gtubes.  The human body isn't designed to be feed continuously overnight. The gut needs time to rest and when one is feed overnight it really never has time to rest.  

Blended diet is time consuming and not as easy as using formula.  But the health benefit it SO worth all the extra work. 

Here are some example recipes we use:

Breakfast/Snack

Lunch

 

 Dinner

Each one is what I call a "batch".  I then divide each batch into a day's worth of blends.  It is at that point I add other things; oils, the baby oatmeal, Benacalorie, etc...  Then I divide all that into a service size for my son, place in snack size Zip-Loc bag and freeze until we need them.  I typically blend once a week making enough for 7-10 days worth of meals.

You can do any combination of food you'd like.  It all depends on your child's needs, food allergies, etc...  These are just the things we have tried.






*Disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional.   This is not medical advice.  i am just sharing what I have learned along the way with the hope it makes things easier for others. 

©Garrett's House 2021

Blended Diet Ingredients

Once you have read blended diet basics, it is now time to move into creating recipes! 

While those with EB  require more calories each day due to wound healing, you need to look at more than just calories when planning a blended diet. Protein, iron, zinc, calcium vitamin D are just a few things that are also vital for a healthy body. 

With blended diet your goal is to create a well rounded meal.  

First make a list of any foods your child is allergic too.  Or any foods your child needs to avoid.  Kids with EB should avoid foods that are highly acidic to avoid triggering their acid reflux.  They also need diets high in protein, zinc and iron for optimal wound healing. 

Next make lists of the major food groups: 

Fruits

Veggies

Protein

Oils 
Liquids

You can choose whatever foods you want to try.  But as an example I will share the lists of foods we have tried along with the nutritional values of those foods.  I also rank them by calorie count.  I know the pictures are a little fuzzy.  It was hard to turn an Excel spreed sheet document into a picture. Clicking on them might help or you can email me and I'd be happy to send the Excel spreed sheet to you.  sara.denslaw@gmail.com

Making Blends

I choose one or two items from each food group, mixing and matching each time to create a wide variety of blends.  I go off what is available in stores and what is on sale.  I always pick fresh over frozen and frozen over canned.  Avoid canned fruits and veggies (except canned pumpkin) when possible.  Canned fruits and veggies tend to be high in sodium and preservatives.    The oils are to add calories since most fruits and veggies aren't high in calories.  Some oils are very beneficial to the skin and over all health. And with 120 calories per tablespoon is a great way to add calories without adding a ton of volume.  


I create blends in large batches, and then divide them into 30oz portions.  To EACH 30oz portion I add the following:

1)  3 tablespoons Happy Bellies Organic Baby Oatmeal.  )The servicing size is 3 tablespoon and it provides 80% of the RDA of iron.  Plus it had probiotics in it as well.)

2)  1 packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast

3)  1 tray of Benecalorie

Once all that is mixed, I then divide the blend into 6oz serving and freeze them in snack size Zip-Loc bags.  You can store blends in the freezer for months but only in the fridge for 2-3 days.  I take out baggies as we need them and thaw! 

The National Nutrient Database is what I used to determine the nutritional value of each food item.  You can look up ANY item you want to use to determine the break down of the nutritional value.  

This is just a basic idea of the MANY wants to create a blended diet.  Tomorrow I will share some of the recipes we use to give you even more ideas on how to create a blended diet for your child!  



*Disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional.   This is not medical advice.  i am just sharing what I have learned along the way with the hope it makes things easier for others.  

©Garrett's House 2021