Puréed Christmas meals

[acorns]

This will be mum’s first Christmas on puréed food. I was disappointed to see that the nationwide company that provide great puréed meals won’t be offering puréed Christmas fare. I think those on a purée diet will still expect something festive on Christmas Day! Does anyone know of a company that will be providing this?

I can make and purée soups and stews but not a roast dinner - when I tried mum immediately detected small lumps of chicken and carrot and spat most of it out! (She’s on texture C thick purée.) Maybe I need a top of the range blender?)

Any advice would be most welcome - thanks!

 

[canary]

I did an internet search, but it looks like no-one is offering this, which really surprised (and saddened) me. You would have thought that someone would have done this, wouldnt you?

Anyway, I found this article, which may possibly help you
http://swallowingdisorderfoundation...sier-to-swallow-christmas-dinner-puree-style/

 

[Jessbow]

Aside from having mother with dementia, in my ''other life'' I was a cook in a residential place.

One gentleman had pureed food, which I pureed myself.
Things like meat ARE quite difficult to get smooth unless you chop the meat very small ACROSS THE GRAIN first

one thing he did appreciate was the fact that I kept components separate, dont whizz it all together into a grey/beige mass. Puree each thing individually. Some veg fair better 'overcooked' until they are really soft, and then hand mashing rather than blending. A sieve can also be a good friend

 

[acorns]

I did an internet search, but it looks like no-one is offering this, which really surprised (and saddened) me. You would have thought that someone would have done this, wouldnt you?

Anyway, I found this article, which may possibly help you
http://swallowingdisorderfoundation...sier-to-swallow-christmas-dinner-puree-style/

Thank you Canary - that article looks very useful - I hadn't thought of using a mini food processor for one portion. Lots of ideas there - at least there is a month or so to practice!

 

[AliceA]

My husband has dysphagia. 1 have bought a catering pack of Maggie instant potato it does not go gloopy. It can be mixed cold then heated. I use it to bring savoury food to the right texture.

If I get back to bread making I would use it for that.

As it is just one pack I can vary the amount.

Sometimes it is worth purreeing enough veg etc to freeze little pots.

 

[acorns]

Aside from having mother with dementia, in my ''other life'' I was a cook in a residential place.

One gentleman had pureed food, which I pureed myself.
Things like meat ARE quite difficult to get smooth unless you chop the meat very small ACROSS THE GRAIN first

one thing he did appreciate was the fact that I kept components separate, dont whizz it all together into a grey/beige mass. Puree each thing individually. Some veg fair better 'overcooked' until they are really soft, and then hand mashing rather than blending. A sieve can also be a good friend

Thank you Jessbow for those insider tips - especially 'across the grain'! I spent ages pureeing that roast dinner in separate sections before (with mum calling me every few seconds) - then when I presented it she detected lumps and had spat it all out in a few minutes. I think I have challenging times ahead but I'll remember to overcook a bit as well. Many thanks!

 

[acorns]

My husband has dysphagia. 1 have bought a catering pack of Maggie instant potato it does not go gloopy. It can be mixed cold then heated. I use it to bring savoury food to the right texture.

If I get back to bread making I would use it for that.

As it is just one pack I can vary the amount.

Sometimes it is worth purreeing enough veg etc to freeze little pots.

Instant mash a great idea AliceA thanks - will look for Maggi as 'gloop' was my main problem with the potato I pureed! I've just googled and found a creamy mash with lots of calories so it's on the shopping list too. I've tried freezing stuff but somehow my offerings never seems as good as fresh- wish I'd listened more at school!

 

[Louise7]

Oakhouse Foods do a pureed Christmas dinner: https://www.oakhousefoods.co.uk/new/pureed-turkey-and-stuffing-dinner.html

 

[Jessbow]

Problem with whizzing potatoes is, it goes starchy, its horrible.
microwave a spud , scoop out, mash well with milk and butter with a table fork.

Another ''Dont ask me why but....''' somethings puree better with milk or cream than they do with gravy/water. No idea why.

Chrismas pudding will go quite smooth if you puree it with Ice cream, goes weird with custard- no idea why ( or just buy some Christmas pudding ice cream and sieve it

 

[acorns]

Oakhouse Foods do a pureed Christmas dinner: https://www.oakhousefoods.co.uk/new/pureed-turkey-and-stuffing-dinner.html

Hi Louise - thanks so much for this - I'd looked there but somehow hadn't seen that. I see they even do a festive pack! We'll get a few to try now - let's hope they deliver to all parts of the UK ...

 

[acorns]

Problem with whizzing potatoes is, it goes starchy, its horrible.
microwave a spud , scoop out, mash well with milk and butter with a table fork

A trick of the trade - that sounds delicious, thanks Jessbow. (When I used to just add milk and butter to potato it went into gloop as you say - but when the carer did it always tasted perfect!) That potato could replace the frozen pureed potato in the ready meal too.

 

[acorns]

Hi Louise - thanks so much for this - I'd looked there but somehow hadn't seen that. I see they even do a festive pack! We'll get a few to try now - let's hope they deliver to all parts of the UK ...

Too good to be true - they don't deliver to all parts of the UK! Useful for the rest of you though!

 

[AliceA]

Problem with whizzing potatoes is, it goes starchy, its horrible.
microwave a spud , scoop out, mash well with milk and butter with a table fork.

Another ''Dont ask me why but....''' somethings puree better with milk or cream than they do with gravy/water. No idea why.

Chrismas pudding will go quite smooth if you puree it with Ice cream, goes weird with custard- no idea why ( or just buy some Christmas pudding ice cream and sieve it

Whizzing breaks the starch down too much hence the gloop. I prefer well cooked potatoes and an old fashioned masher plus elbow grease. Also stirring in hot milk rather than cold. Yum

 

[acorns]

Whizzing breaks the starch down too much hence the gloop. I prefer well cooked potatoes and an old fashioned masher plus elbow grease. Also stirring in hot milk rather than cold. Yum

Oh well I’d just tried microwaving and whizzing with milk - looked and smelt great until I whizzed, adding more milk - result - gloop! Thanks - so next time - elbow grease!! If doesn’t work I’ll try hot milk too thanks!!

 

[acorns]

Just an update on my search for a pureed Christmas meal. No-one in my mother’s area offered this. In the end the local hotel chef said he would do it, although he wasn’t aware of the specifics initially. It was good value, appetising, with a cranberry jus in the middle and a container of turkey gravy on the side. The only problem was - it was just not quite pureed enough. So I took each bit and pureed it again – and although my mum liked the taste she was coughing a great deal. This meant in the end she only nibbled at it so that was a 500 calorie meal missed and she can ill afford to do that. (I managed to pureed two puddings and add cream and she ate half, so that bit was a success.)

My advice for anyone in this position next year is – use the normal meals but get good quality turkey gravy and cranberry jus to drizzle over it. Put it on a festive plate, add a cracker or two and some Christmas music and that should do the trick!

 

[AliceA]

Just an update on my search for a pureed Christmas meal. No-one in my mother’s area offered this. In the end the local hotel chef said he would do it, although he wasn’t aware of the specifics initially. It was good value, appetising, with a cranberry jus in the middle and a container of turkey gravy on the side. The only problem was - it was just not quite pureed enough. So I took each bit and pureed it again – and although my mum liked the taste she was coughing a great deal. This meant in the end she only nibbled at it so that was a 500 calorie meal missed and she can ill afford to do that. (I managed to pureed two puddings and add cream and she ate half, so that bit was a success.)

My advice for anyone in this position next year is – use the normal meals but get good quality turkey gravy and cranberry jus to drizzle over it. Put it on a festive plate, add a cracker or two and some Christmas music and that should do the trick!

You are right, we can put too much on keeping things normal when normal has moved on to something different.