It’s hard to believe that the healthcare community had to conduct a special study to prove what we all know, that blended diets are good for tube-fed children! In fact, the study “Efficacy and Tolerance of Blended Diets in Children Receiving Gastrostomy Feeds” not only concluded that blended  diets were well tolerated in gastrostomy ‐ fed children, but were also associated with clinical improvement of upper GI symptoms! Click here for the study abstract.

Why is it that dietitians talk to all of their patients about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, EXCEPT for their tube fed patients? Granted, it’s clinically safe to rely on the labels of synthetic formulas made of water, sugar, protein, vitamins and minerals to make sure “daily intakes” are met, BUT that is definitely not in the best interest of the long-term tube fed person.

Any recipe made from fresh fruits, vegetables and meat can be blended with other ingredients to make a complete meal for a person with a feeding tube.

But keep in mind that a registered dietitian can be a big help if you decide to start adding whole foods into your tube feeding meal time. “There are MANY variables to ensuring adequate nutrition, that is safe for your personal and medical needs. So it’s really important to start with a registered dietitian consult to assess if the regimen is appropriate for your needs,” says  Danielle Penick, MS, RD, CNSC, LDN – with Survivors’ Table

Don’t have time to cook? That happens to all of us. In that instance there are manufactured tube feeding meals from Functional Formularies and Real Food Blends made from whole foods that can be a wonderful substitute for home cooking.

It’s great that clinicians are finally studying the topic (this study was supported by The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine) but the conclusions shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

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