Dental procedures like wisdom teeth removal can temporarily change how you eat. When chewing is uncomfortable or you’re limited to soft foods, it can be challenging to get enough nutrition, especially if your appetite is lower or your usual go-to foods aren’t an option. For those in eating disorder (ED) recovery, changes in routine, food variety, and eating patterns can also bring up additional stress.
The priority is getting enough nourishment, finding foods that feel manageable, and giving your body the energy it needs to heal.
1. Stock Up on Soft, Satisfying Foods
Planning ahead can make recovery a little easier. Before your procedure, consider purchasing (or asking someone else to buy) a variety of foods that require minimal chewing and are easy to prepare.
Some options to keep on hand include:
- Mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, oatmeal or cream of wheat, soft macaroni and cheese, and other soft-cooked grains as tolerated
- Scrambled eggs, yogurt, Greek yogurt, and nutritional shakes such as Ensure or Boost
- Smooth soups or blended soups can offer variety and nourishment. Choose options with more substance when possible such as a cream based soup
- Applesauce or other fruit and veggie pouches and smoothies, prepared or homemade (if homemade, made without seeds or other ingredients that may irritate the surgical sites)
- Pudding, jello, ice cream, milkshakes, sherbet or sorbet
You don’t have to rely on the same few foods every day. Purchasing different flavors of yogurt, ice cream, shakes, and other staples can help keep eating interesting when your options feel limited.
Follow your oral surgeon’s instructions about food texture and temperature, and avoid foods that could become lodged in the extraction sites. For example, seeds, nuts, crunchy toppings, and small food particles may need to be avoided during early healing.
2. Add Energy and Nutrient Density Where You Can
Adding in energy and nutrient density where you are able can be a helpful way to try to meet energy needs with lesser options.
Some suggestions include:
- Full-fat Greek yogurt or regular full-fat yogurt
- Whole milk instead of water or a lower-calorie liquid for making things like shakes, oatmeal
- Half-and-half, heavy cream or canned full-fat coconut milk added to soups, oatmeal
- Smooth, mashed avocado
- Smooth nut butter
- Tahini or sunflower seed butter, if you prefer an alternative to nut butter
You can also experiment with different flavor combinations. Recreating a favorite smoothie from a restaurant or fast-food spot at home can be a fun way to add familiarity and variety.
Ready-to-drink nutritional shakes can be especially helpful when preparing food feels like too much effort. Products such as Ensure and Boost provide a convenient source of energy and nutrients, and you can use them alongside meals and snacks.
Remember, a smoothie doesn’t have to contain every possible nutrient to be worthwhile. If a simple combination of milk, yogurt, and fruit is what sounds good and feels manageable, that’s a perfectly reasonable place to start.
3. Eat Regularly, Even When Meals Look Different
After surgery, you may find that eating a typical meal feels uncomfortable or takes longer than usual. Rather than focusing on three full meals a day, consider having smaller, more frequent eating experiences throughout the day.
For example, you might eat something every couple of hours while you’re awake, depending on your comfort and your surgical team’s guidance. Setting reminders on your phone or asking a family member to help with food preparation can be useful when you’re tired, uncomfortable, or not thinking about food as often.
These eating experiences don’t have to look like traditional meals. A yogurt, a shake, some mashed potatoes, or a serving of pudding can all be meaningful ways to nourish yourself.
Please do not wait until you can eat your usual meals to prioritize adequate nourishment. Your body still needs energy, protein, and other nutrients while it heals, even when your food choices temporarily look different.
4. Give Yourself Permission to Choose What Feels Manageable
When your food options are limited, it’s easy to feel frustrated by eating the same things repeatedly or worry that your meals aren’t balanced enough. If you’re navigating ED recovery, you may also notice thoughts about the nutritional quality of foods, the amount you’re eating, or relying on foods you wouldn’t typically choose.
This is a great time to “flex your flexibility muscle”, as I say to clients.
You can also give yourself permission to rely on convenience foods. Recovery from surgery is not the time to put pressure on yourself to prepare everything from scratch. Using ready-made mashed potatoes, canned soups, prepackaged pudding, or nutritional shakes can reduce the burden of feeding yourself when you’re likely not feeling 100%.
5. Expect Your Hunger to Change
When you’re sick, recovering from surgery, or temporarily unable to eat as much as usual, you may not meet your typical nutritional needs. As you recover, you might notice an increase in hunger or a desire to eat more than you usually do. This is a normal response, and you deserve to honor it without judgment.
Your body may be responding to a period of reduced intake, the energy demands of healing, or both. You don’t need to restrict your intake to return to your previous eating pattern or treat increased hunger as something that needs to be corrected.
If you’re in ED recovery, this can be an opportunity to practice responding to your body’s needs with compassion rather than rules. Hunger cues can be helpful, but you can also eat regularly even when hunger is less noticeable, particularly if discomfort or medication is affecting your appetite.
As your ability to chew improves, gradually reintroduce foods according to your dental team’s instructions and speak with your Registered Dietitian if you are finding it challenging to honor your body’s needs for nutrition at this time.
6. Let Others Help You
Recovery can be exhausting, and preparing food may feel like an unnecessary extra challenge. If possible, ask family members or friends to help with grocery shopping, preparing soft foods, or bringing you meals and snacks.
It can help to have a few easy options ready to grab so that eating doesn’t require much planning or effort. You might also ask someone to help you keep track of when you’ve last eaten if you’re having trouble maintaining a routine.
Whether you’re recovering from wisdom teeth removal or another dental or medical procedure that temporarily changes how you eat, remember that your nutritional needs don’t disappear when your routine changes.
You don’t need to make every meal perfectly balanced, stick to your usual foods, or judge yourself for relying on convenience options. Focus on eating regularly, choosing foods that are comfortable and satisfying, and allowing yourself more nourishment when your body needs it. You deserve to be nourished during recovery, even when eating looks different than it normally does.
And please rely on your Registered Dietitian and treatment team for support. If this is a planned procedure such as wisdom teeth removal, plan to schedule an appointment with your RD a week or two before so that the two of you can brainstorm a plan together that feels doable and supportive for you!
Note: Always follow your oral surgeon’s specific instructions regarding food textures, temperatures, hydration, and when to resume different foods. Avoid straws after extractions if instructed, as suction can increase the risk of dry socket. Contact your dental team if you’re struggling to maintain adequate intake, have signs of dehydration, or experience worsening pain, swelling, fever, or other concerning symptoms.
