Please refer also to the Alveolar bone graft patient information leaflet.
Feeding preparation
Before surgery
If you have been given a food diary to complete, it would be helpful if you can fill this in before your child’s pre-admission clinic appointment. This will help us to provide ideas/suggestions for foods that your child might have after surgery. Suggestions might include adapting the texture of foods (for example, blending foods so that they are soft/sloppy, or cooking fruits and vegetables so that they are soft).
Immediately after surgery
Drinking is normally allowed as soon as possible on return to Ward D2.
An antiseptic mouthwash is provided to rinse the mouth after eating all meals, and tooth brushing may begin with a soft brush one day after surgery, except in the graft area.
Straws should not be used as they could damage the surgical repair.
Syringes should not be used to administer medications. A medicine spoon can be provided to take home to give your child any medications.
In the first three days after surgery
To help with wound healing, a liquidised or soft diet is encouraged for three days after surgery. All foods with sharp or hard edges must be avoided. We recommend avoiding these foods as pieces can become lodged in and around the stitches (for example rice, raisins, lentils, couscous) or damage the surgical repair/wound site (for example toast, crisps, pizza, hard fruits such as apple).
We have put together a list of ‘safe’ foods that your child might like following surgery. You might have additional ideas, which we are very happy to discuss with you and answer any questions you might have.
As there is a limited selection of ‘soft/sloppy’ foods available on the ward, you may like to bring in foods from home for your child; if so, please speak to a member of ward staff.
Four to seven days after surgery
Firmer, more textured foods can be reintroduced at this point with a gradual return to normal diet. Ensure good mouth cleaning/brushing is maintained.
Nutrition
Following surgery, you should try to ensure that your child continues with good eating habits, which means a balanced diet consisting of:
- protein foods (for example meat, fish and pulses)
- starchy carbohydrate (for example potatoes, pasta, noodles)
- fruit and vegetables
- treats
If you are concerned that your child is not eating well after surgery, please speak to the cleft team on 01223 596265 who will refer your child to the dietitian for further advice.
Helpful hints
- Children like to make fruit smoothies. Combine ice cream, milk and any soft fruits or juices to make great tasting smoothies that are also very nutritious.
- Most children are happier with foods that look like the foods they normally eat. For example soft ground meat with gravy, mashed potato and mashed vegetables with added butter, followed by ice cream for dessert.
- Taking foods ‘little and often’ may be more manageable. Aim for small, frequent meals and snacks every two to three hours.
- In order to supply sufficient calorie intake for healing and to continue to support growth, add extra gravy, butter, cream, cheese, etc to blended foods.
- Meats should be well cooked and tender. Try stewing and casseroling.
- Foods can be softened by chopping, mincing or mashing.
- Small sips of drink with a meal can help to moisten food.
| Foods | Can eat | Should be avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Cereals | Can eat Softened with milk: Cornflakes, Weetabix, Rice Krispies, Coco Pops, porridge. | Should be avoided Shredded wheat, cluster type cereal, cereal with dried fruit and nuts, muesli bars, flapjacks. |
| Bread | Can eat Sliced bread (no crusts), chapattis. | Should be avoided Toast, breadsticks, crackers. |
| Potato | Can eat Jacket potato (without skin), mashed potato (with gravy/cheese), soggy/soft chips. | Should be avoided Roast potato, crunchy chips, smiley faces, potato waffles. |
| Other starchy foods | Can eat Spaghetti and spaghetti hoops, ravioli, macaroni cheese, pasta shapes, noodles, Yorkshire pudding (with gravy), pancakes. | Should be avoided Pizza, quiche, couscous, rice, bulgur wheat. |
| Meats and fish | Can eat Shredded or finely chopped meat in gravy, sausages (without skins), fish fingers (without breadcrumb coating), spaghetti Bolognese (blended), fish cakes, fish in sauce, curry (blended), shepherd’s pie (blended). | Should be avoided Chicken nuggets, burgers, fried chicken. |
| Eggs | Can eat Scrambled, soft boiled, poached, plain or cheese omelette. | Should be avoided Fried eggs. |
| Cheese and milk products | Can eat Cottage cheese, cream cheese, spreadable cheese, grated cheese, butter, margarine, cream. | Should be avoided Cheese strings. |
| Fruits | Can eat Soft fruits such as banana and watermelon (no pips), soft, cooked fruits, tinned fruits such as peaches and pears, smooth marmalade. | Should be avoided Raw apple and pear, raisins and other dried fruit, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi and other fruits with seeds, jams. |
| Vegetables | Can eat Soft, cooked vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, spinach and squash. | Should be avoided Peas, sweet corn, baked beans, chickpeas, lentils. |
| Sauces | Can eat Soup with soft ingredients, gravy, white/cheese sauce, tomato sauce, mayonnaise, salad cream. | Should be avoided |
| Puddings | Can eat Jelly, custard, yoghurt, fromage frais, mousse, blancmange, trifle, ice cream, Angel Delight. | Should be avoided Rice pudding, hard biscuits. |
| Treats and drinks | Can eat Soft melted chocolate, smoothie, milkshake, hot chocolate, nutritional supplement drink. | Should be avoided Fizzy drinks, nuts, chewy/sticky/hard sweets, chewing gum, crisps, foods on a stick for example lollies. |
Recipe ideas
Vegetable soup
1 tablespoon margarine
3 cups of diced vegetables
1 chicken stock cube
3 cups water
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
3 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup pasta
- Melt margarine and sauté vegetables for five minutes.
- Add crumbled stock cubes, water and tomato paste.
- Simmer until vegetables are tender.
- Blend the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Stir in milk and cream and add pasta.
- Heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
Makes four to six servings.
Vanilla custard
1½ cups milk
½ cup cream
1½ to 2 tablespoons custard powder
2 tablespoons sugar
few drops vanilla essence
- Bring milk to boil.
- Mix custard powder to a smooth paste with water.
- Add paste slowly to the boiling milk, stirring continuously until thickened.
- Stir in sugar and cream. Remove from heat.
Can be served warm or cold.
Makes two servings.
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Contact us
Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
Hills Road, Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
Telephone +44 (0)1223 245151
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/contact-enquiries/