Pureed Chicken Thigh Bake – Bariatric Pureed Diet
Pureed Chicken Thigh Bake
Find this recipe and 9 others on the Pureed Diet Meal Plan for Members! Discover flavor again with your next phase of the post-op diet!
Also, check out this video with tips for how to succeed in the Pureed Diet Phase. Wishing you all my best in your road to recovery and the losers bench! – Steph
Here’s the thing about the Pureed Diet Stage. In my personal practice as a bariatric dietitian, I’ve never put a patient on a pureed diet. I know, that sounds crazy. But every program does things SO differently and I’m thankful to say that alongside the doctors I’ve worked with, we were able to transition the diet from liquids to very soft proteins (eggs, beans, cheese) and then to mildly soft proteins (fish, dark meat chicken) and on to solids (turkey burgers, pork chops, steak).
However, I recognize that many of YOU are being put on pureed diets after surgery. So in effort to help you through this one or two weeks of your life, I’ve created recipes that focus on very soft “pureed” proteins with flavor.
But the way, if your program advises potatoes, crackers, cream of wheat or other starches, I highly encourage you to skip those! That’s my 2 cents 🙂 Starchy foods are a slippery slow and surgery is such a fantastic opportunity to rid yourself of them. You also can’t afford to “waste space” on starches when what you really need is good protein!
During this stage, itÂ’s absolutely essential to take TINY bites (think the size of your pinkie fingernail) and pause in between each bite.
Sure, itÂ’s important to chew well, but in my opinion, too much emphasis gets put on chewing and not about the amount of food you are swallowing at once. Really invest the time in learning tiny bites.
In between each bite, ask yourself how you feel. Are you satisfied? Do you need another bite? Where do you feel most comfortable? Take notes. Not just so you can track protein if your program requires that (mine doesnÂ’t) but so that you can learn where your natural portion size is and to track if you have any adverse reactions.
Your portions will slowly grow with time as healing continues and inflammation goes down. ThatÂ’s a good thingÂ…donÂ’t worry!
Remember, you cannot drink while you eat and for 30-60 minutes afterward (depending on your program) so while FLAVOR is important, make sure itÂ’s not so flavorful that you need to drink water.Â
Another note – as you transition from pureed foods to the soft foods and then to solids, you will start to hit your stopping point FASTER. The more solid the texture, the faster you will fill up. Practice that mindful eating and ask yourself where you are at instead of just looking at the bowl to tell you when you stop.
Pureed Chicken Thigh Bake - Bariatric Pureed Diet
Ingredients
- 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp sautéed garlic or shallot optional for extra flavor
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Trim as much fat as possible off chicken thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides and move to a baking dish or baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked.
- Move chicken to a blender (or move to a bowl and use a hand blender). Add broth and garlic if using. Blend until smooth.
- Move pureed chicken to a small ramekin and return to oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and enjoy.
- Notes: for different flavor variations, season chicken with cumin, dried basil, garlic powder, ground thyme or barbecue seasoning