The Tailgate, the Portable Shake and the Instant Milkshake
Fall is almost here. The weather is about to be spectacular. Within a month, it will start to get cooler and soon the leaves will begin to turn. Even if you live in a warm climate, such as in California, Arizona or Florida, the air becomes cooler and the humidity drops. People want to be outdoors, and that includes the dysphagia patient.
The biggest social event of Fall is attendance at a sporting event, like soccer, football, or lacrosse. The family and friends tailgate.
The eminent speech language pathologist, David Fagen, has been encouraging me and inspiring me for years now. I take his suggestions for dysphagia patients very seriously.
David wants patients to be part of life, not to be isolated. He wants them to be able to travel and to participate in family and social events. He wants them to be able to take public transportation and to eat in restaurants.
The Tailgate
To participate in a tailgate, you have to plan ahead to bring the ingredients and the electric pressure cooker to the game. It is easy to create the Quickie for Caregivers recipes from the new eBook from Essential Puree, The Purees of Fall: Delicious Under Pressure.
These are made from quality go-to ingredients and are ready in under thirty minutes. The new electric pressure cookers are safe and easy to use. A four-quart model is great for taking to the tailgate. You have a one-pot cleanup.
The Portable Shake
The person with a swallowing disorder can also attend a game with a portable snack.
The Essential Puree website offers a free download of Shake, Rattle and Roll, an e-book of recipes for nutritionally dense milkshakes (or non-dairy milkshakes) that one can make at home. They require fresh ingredients.
One can make several servings of the shakes at home, and either freeze them or store them in the fridge, then bring them along. All you need is a portable, lunch-size, insulated pack. These are a light meal in a glass. The Detroit Shake is like warm Sweet Potato Pie. The Memphis is peanut butter and banana, with Canadian bacon pureed in, if desired. The Miami is baked maduros, the ultimate banana-tasting indulgence. See my blog on the Essential Puree website for more recipes.
The Instant Shake in a Packet
Sometimes you want an instant shake. I don’t recommend the off-the-shelf products in cans or plastic bottles. Need I mention the fact that the biggest name brands of nutritional shakes have an artificial taste and a disappointing texture? They are also loaded with sugar.
That’s why the SloDrinks company created Slõ Milkshakes. These are made with milk. They mix with a whisk or a blender if you bring along a portable carry cup, such as the one you might take to the gym or the office.
Their shakes are the first, high-protein, powdered supplement containing a thickener that works with milk. They come in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
They even enable one to go to a restaurant with family. A new trend is to ask the restaurant staff if a meal could be pureed by the restaurant using professional kitchen equipment. Some restaurants will provide this service and some will not.
If you cannot get a pureed meal, you could always ask for the kitchen to use your envelope of an instant shake, and purchase a glass of milk from them. The restaurant can then blend up the shake and maybe even blend in optional ingredients such as a banana, for a nutritional boost. You could carry along a NutriBullet in the car, and ask if the restaurant would use your own machine and blend your shake.
These instant shake packets are quick, easy and stress-free to make, and, best of all, only cost $1.28 per serving. The product is available on Amazon.
Patients and caregivers will find this product convenient and useful. I used to carry the envelopes in a zip bag in my purse, so I could whip one up for my mother when it was needed. Carry a little whisk that can be rinsed off and wrapped in a paper towel after use.
On the Go Tip: If a restaurant cannot puree a meal for you, order a bowl of soup. Some soups are creamy in texture and can be thickened with a packet of Instant Thickener such as Simiply Thick. By using the recommended amount for a cup of liquid, one can thicken a cream soup to the correct level of the NDD diet. If the soup has texture, such as vegetable soup, ask the restaurant to puree it for you, and thicken it at the table.
Enjoy the season, and go to our Facebook and Twitter pages to let us know how the portable meals work out for you!
Swirl Away!