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My dad had colon cancer over 20 years ago and has a colostomy bag. Because of this he has problems with eating. Certain foods that are too gassy give him a lot o pain. Because his teeth are shot from years of medication, he cannot chew very well. I try to make things as soft as I can but he still complains. I've even bought a couple of junior food packages for him to try just to get him to eat vegetables and things are nutritious.


He is an old Eastern European so loves his bread. He likes to eat dry bread with his morning tea or coffee. He says it's so he can take his medicines (about 14 pills a day). He often eats dry bread soaked in coffee or tea for a snack, rather than a piece of cheese or something with protein in it.


Basically he complains about everything I cook. He always had by-pass surgery in 2003 and a pace maker around 2010. He is pretty good at dong things himself, walks around pretty well, takes care of his colostomy and medicines himself. I only need to order them from pharmacy or doctors. He claims he is full all the time (he barely eats) and then complains he's dizzy or lightheaded or whatever and I'm sure (doctors agreed) it's because he doesn't eat properly. I don't know what else to do for him. Any suggestion on how to prepare meals for an old fuss pot with little to no chewing abilities?


BTW - He hasn't yet tried the baby food. I think he feels embarassed, but I don't know what else to do. I did try pulsing everything yesterday. Made chicken livers with mixed vegetables and rice. He ate it, but complained that he can eat liver 'cause it's soft. Maybe he has just become a complainer in his old age, I don't know.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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I would get the" light-headed" checked out and not assume it's because of his diet. What is his blood sugar like? Does he get lightheaded upon standing? What's the daily fluctuation in his bp?

People without teeth can gum an awful lot of different kinds of foods. Can you cook chicken and beef until very tender? Can you add cooked spinach and carrots to meatballs?
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Is dad trying to prolong his life or live his days out in peace. Unless the doctor says it's a danger to have a certain food, then I would provide it if he wants it. He is still competent, right? Let him decide what he wants. Maybe, if it's something that he would enjoy, he would eat more of it. Is he underweight? If he's not active, he may only need a limited amount of calories per day.

I have read that the texture of food is just as important as the taste. Maybe the pureed food does not appeal to him. Has he tried to eat soft, but not pureed food? I have heard that some seniors eat almost anything they want with NO teeth. They use their gums to chew. Of course no steak or hard foods. Has he actually tried to chew soft food?

What if you wrote down the exact foods that bother his stomach and just avoid them? Can you flavor with basil and oregano if garlic bothers him? I'd just try some regular food that is soft and see if he can tolerate it in small amounts, then adjust accordingly.

I wouldn't see any need to puree rice, veggies or livers. They are all soft.
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I wouldn't eat baby food either, but there are lots of regular foods with a softer texture he might enjoy. People commonly mash potatoes, squash or rutabaga. Other veggie can be cooked until soft instead of al dente, or does he enjoy soups or vegetable cocktails? There are a lot of great smoothies recipes too.

There are plenty of protein options that aren't meat, (although he would probably be able to gum down ground beef), eggs and dairy are good sources of protein. Custards, rice puddings, soft noodles in a cheese sauce? What about fish?
Look for inspiration from the foods he once enjoyed, sauerkraut or cabbage rolls? Perogies? Goulash?
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Lentil soup. I simmer it with red lentils, carrots, celery, onion, garlic,
potato, lemon, salt, then puree it. I'm making some right now.
It is perfect for dipping the bread!
I wish I could give a bowl to your dad,
my dad is on a feeding tube for three
years now. He used to love my rich pureed soups
with a crust of bread. My grandparents are all Eastern
European.
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I love yoga girls suggestion of puréed bean soups....not sure if the beans would be too gassy, definitely worth a try.
Ground meats, paired with mashed starchy vegetables may work....he may enjoy a sheperds pie.
Have you tried juicing?
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try rice in different variations . it produces more energy per amount of energy required to digest it than any other known food .
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Ask for a nutritionist referral.
They know a whole lot of things to consider when you are trying to feed a patient.
Ask dad if COLD things sound good, example: custards, jello, ice cream, and here is my recipe: soy milk, plain yogurt, tofu, oats, dates, peanut butter, and blueberries, or strawberries. Blend thoroughly in blender. Nutritionist also knows about a product called BENE PROTEIN AND BENE CALORIES. check if appropriate for dad.
Best to you and all here!
M88
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Thank you all for your recommendations. I will give some of the ones that I haven't done a try. As for his light-head, it is not a medical problem. I've had him to the doctors for test on several occasions. It's all because of his not eating right. Believe, I've talked to all of his doctors about the problem an they all agree, he needs to eat better and drink more water.
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He likes toast? Make banana bread and slice it in toastable chunks. Make cornbread with a can of creamed corn in it. I cut the sugar for the recipe in half and add a packet of stevia. Make a meatloaf, but divide it up into single servings and smother it in gravy. Recipe: 1 cup milk+1egg+1 onion+1 carrot+1 stalk celery into blender. Mix with a pound of ground beef. Add 1 cup bread crumbs and a shake or two or worchestershire sauce. Veggies are there and no teeth needed.
Sneak in vegetables by serving carrot cake, or add peas to gravy.
Add sweet peppers and grated carrot to spaghetti sauce. Be sneaky.
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Get a slow cooker. Everything that comes out will be fork tender.
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pamstegma, Thanks for your input. He does like toast, but complains that he can't chew it. Yet he'll eat 3-4 day old very dry bread and dunk it in his tea. Go figure. He's not diabetic so that's not a problem. Basically what I have been doing is cooking a meat, starch and vegetables. Then I put his into a bowl and pulse it with a hand blender. That seems to be working with the exception that he still doesn't like the peas. He's like a little baby. LOL. I try to hide them like I used to when my sons were babies, but he always knows.

Today I am making a meatloaf where I finely diced carrots, celergy, mushrooms and some mixed vegetables along with oats (instead of bread crumbs). So far it looks like it will be nice a soft and juicy. (Just put it in the oven.) I am roasting some potatoes that I have precooked and will make a brown gravy to go with it. So the meat and veggies are in one. We'll see how it goes.

I will try to sneak the veggies as you said above. Little by little. Thanks again.
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LonelyDad,
Bottom line it for me.
What do you need?
A. Flavor?

B. Easy to digest?

C. Food values?

D. All of the above?

Thanks! M88. :^)
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It seems to me that it isn't what you cook. Its a combination of loss of smell, loss of taste and inability to chew. It's a general dissatisfaction. Food just isn't as enjoyable as it once was at his age. Someone on this site said the other day that lack of B vitamins can cause a loss of taste. Someone earlier suggested a shepherds pie. I make that twice a month for my aunt with lots of veggies, the potatoes and cheese. She also likes it with ground beef which is the only meat she will eat. She loves chicken and dumplings but won't eat the chicken unless it's ground. Pasta with meat sauce. Soups of all descriptions. Smothered okra and tomatoes twice a month. Peach cobbler every week. If you can get him to eat a shake for breakfast they really are filling and tasty. Add a variety of nuts (1 T pumpkin, 3 walnuts, 1 Brazil) and seeds (1T chia seeds, 1 T flax seeds, 1 T hemp seeds) that you've soaked in water the night before. Add one quarter avocado , 1 T coconut butter, 1 T almond butter, enough almond milk to cover, 1/2 cup frozen fruit like blueberries or strawberries or cherries and ice. You can add a little stevia for sweetness. It's very satisfying and filling and will make him feel good. Since it's all ground up, he can drink it through a big straw. One made for malts. The chia will make it very thick if he takes too long to eat it. Just dilute it with a little water or juice or he can eat it with a spoon. You can freeze this in smaller portions and he can eat it like an icy as it thaws. My husband has this for breakfast. Towards the end with my mother I just watched to see what she actually ate without complaining. That was high praise.
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