Food that is high in protein and is not solid for people with wisdom teeth removed

substitutions

I recently got some of my wisdom teeth out and I'm trying to cook food that is not solid due to my oral surgeon's instructions. I have found a bunch of food I can make including pasta, mashed potatoes, ice cream (to cool the swelling), variety of soups, rice porridge, etc.

However, I am having trouble finding/preparing food that is high in protein that isn't solid. I know there are things like hummus, but it's really high in fat. I'm trying to avoid too many carbs specifically because I have so many options already. I was also suggested protein shakes but I would rather cook something rather than just throw powder into a smoothie.

Any suggestions on how I can prepare certain foods high in protein to fit my agenda? I believe the only requirements include that the food has to be soft and non solid. I think pasta is an exception because of how soft it is and it won't have issues getting into the holes of where the teeth were.

Best Answer

Your common 'non-solid' high-protein items are:

  • peanut butter, or other nut butters
  • eggs
  • yogurt
  • cheese (cream cheese or served melted)
  • tofu

Depending on how strict you're being with the fat intake, you can go even further ... low fat or non-fat yogurts and cheese (eg. neufchâtel instead of cream cheese); whites only for the eggs, etc. Be warned that if you try to go too low-fat during this time, your body might actually crave more feed, making the problem worse. If it's not a problem with your body being unable to process fats, you might want to reduce protein but increase fats during this time.

The good news is that unless you're a body builder, having a lower protein diet for a week or two while things heal won't cause your body to start eating itself -- in fact, most American diets have more protein in it than our bodies need -- about 3-5oz of meat per day (not per meal) is enough; exact amount depends on your size and build.

As you can get away with soft foods, and not just non-solid:

  • Scrambled eggs (leave out a few yolks if you're really sensitive to the fat).
  • Pulled pork, roja vieja, pot roast cooked 'ragout', or similar (you might need to also chop it up if the bits of meat are long).
  • Pasta with an egg sauce (like carbonara, but might have to avoid the black pepper and/or crispy meat ... might be able to use a soft ham and/or add extra salt or worcestershire) or a cheese sauce (eg, macaroni and cheese, alfredo)
  • Tuna fish (canned in water; can either make into a tuna salad (avoid celery. Use a grater to extract onion juice for flavor without solid bits of onion. Pickle brine can help brighten it up while being non-solid)
  • Refried beans (make your own, and you can cut down the fat significantly)
  • Many soups. (either make a strong stock, cook the meat 'til it's soft, or put it through a blender ... or egg drop soup)
  • Cheesecake (use neufchâtel cheese, or find a recipe that uses soft tofu)
  • Flan, custards, or ice cream (made with a custard base, but low-fat milk)

You can also work some extra protein into other dishes ... thin your mashed potatoes with (pre-heated) stock a bit more than you typically would, then while still hot, blend in a egg or two. Or add neufchâtel cheese instead of milk or butter (add stock if you still need to thin it further for your tastes)

Related Topic