After you’ve had oral surgery, you’ll need to settle for soft foods for a certain period of time. Your surgeon will determine exactly how long you’ll need to follow this diet, but after a while, you may be out of ideas for healthy food options. Try using a few of these ideas to keep your diet interesting throughout this time.
Foods for the First 24 Hours
In the first 24 hours following your oral surgery, you will need to give your jaw and teeth time to recuperate, so extremely soft and cold foods are best.
- Fruit smoothies and shakes. A healthy and filing way to start off the day following your surgery is to make a fruit smoothie or shake. Try adding bananas to your recipe, as this fruit will help to replace missing electrolytes in your body.
- Cold pasta. A cold pasta salad could be just what you need to stay fueled without harming your teeth. Try expanding your taste buds with something like tomato basil orzo.
- Applesauce. If you are an apple fan, you’ll have to forgo your favorite fruit, but choosing applesauce can be a tasty alternative.
The Next Few Weeks
After you get through the first 24 hours of your post-surgery recovery, you’ll be able to expand on your soft diet to try new foods.
- Omelets. An omelet is a soft food that you can enjoy as you recover from surgery, as eggs can be a great protein boost for your day. Adding cheese or broccoli can also be beneficial, as the calcium found in these foods can speed up your healing.
- Chicken salad. Chicken and soft vegetables can be a protein-packed lunch that you can pair with pasta and other healthy soft foods to make an entire meal.
When it comes to following a soft diet, it is important to be creative while also choosing healthy options. You may be sad to even move on from your soft diet!
Please contact us if you have any questions about your food after having oral surgery.
