What is blended diet

Blending everyday real food for people with feeding tubes is most commonly called ‘blended diet’. It has numerous other names like pureed diet, liquidised diet or blenderised diet; the latter two can even come with a Z or an S. What they all define is every day foods that are blended with liquid to a thin, smooth consistency so it can easily pass through a feeding tube.

The idea of blended diet is not a new one. Before commercial feeds were developed, it was the only option for people with feeding tubes. However, it is recognised that blended diet needs more robust research, especially owing to the growing popularity of people either fully, or partially, moving to a real food diet.

Why blended diet?

Real food just makes sense, after all, we have been eating real food for millions of years.

Beyond the obvious reasons for a real food diet, qualitative research shows many physical and social benefits of blended diet. Improvements in common symptoms include:

  • reflux, vomiting and aspiration

  • diarrhoea

  • constipation

  • tummy pain

  • comfort during feeds

  • weight loss or limited growth

In addition to improved symptoms, overall social and emotional benefits have been reported. Being able to share a meal with the family, as well as having flexibility with a range of appearance, smells, tastes, and textures to choose from all helps to empower parents and carers and bring the family together.

Demands of blended diet

As blended diet is becoming better supported and understood, wide ranging benefits have been reported. As well as this, some of the practicalities and outdated perceptions are becoming less of a barrier.

It is true that the blended diet isn’t appropriate for all people. Complex medical needs, nutritional adequacy, food safety & hygiene, and equipment all need careful consideration. A shared decision with your dietician should be made before opting for blended diet and the use of everyday foods.

The blended diet can, at times, be demanding. It can require some basic knowledge of nutrition, time available to prepare meals, a blender (which can be expensive), and planning when travelling or on holiday. Each individual and family are different, and you will need to make sure it can fit into your daily routines. One of our aims is the convenience that Wilbo’s Blends brings will hopefully ease some of these demands.

For many tube fed individuals, having everyday food fully or as some part of their diet is a real possibility. It can be a great option with many benefits, which is why its popularity continues to grow. Careful consideration, patience and knowledge are important steps to making it happen.