After you have dental implant surgery, the type of foods that you can eat are limited until your mouth fully heals. It's important to follow your dentist's instructions for easing your way back into eating solid foods so that you don't accidentally dislodge or damage your implant. Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to stick to a soft-food diet. So, when you're tired of eating Jello and pudding, try making a few of these healthy smoothies.
Filling Fruit Smoothie
Start your day by drinking a fruit smoothie that's designed to keep you full until lunch. The smoothie has 300 calories per serving, which is on the high side for a smoothie. However, it's intended to be used as a meal replacement, and it's filled with healthy ingredients, so there's no reason to feel guilty about consuming these calories.
To make a filling fruit smoothie, blend together:
- 1 cup of plain, nonfat yogurt
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 1 banana
- 6 frozen strawberries
Grape and Parsley Lemonade Smoothie
The ingredients in the grape and parsley lemonade smoothie are filled with vitamin K, which helps your body use calcium properly, strengthening your bones. Also, parsley contains a natural antiseptic compound, called eugenol, which helps keep your gums and teeth healthy. So, try drinking this shake daily, after your dental implant surgery, to help your mouth heal.
To make a grape and parsley lemonade smoothie, blend together:
- 3 cups of green, seedless grapes
- 1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 of a small avocado -- peeled and pitted
- 1 bunch of chopped parsley leaves
- 5 drops of liquid stevia
- 2 teaspoons of minced ginger
- 2 cups of ice cubes
Banana Cream Pie Smoothie
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a banana cream pie smoothie. Not only is a banana cream pie smoothie a healthy dessert choice, but because it contains both skim milk and low-fat yogurt, this sweet treat contains plenty of calcium -- which your healing jawbone needs.
To make a banana cream pie smoothie, blend together:
- 1 cup of vanilla-flavored low-fat yogurt
- 1 large banana, sliced
- 1/2 cup of skim milk
- 1 tablespoon of nonfat dry milk
- 3 ice cubes
- 2 tablespoons of whole wheat graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
When you need a flavor-filled meal that is soft-diet approved, a smoothie makes a great choice. Just remember to avoid drinking your smoothie through a straw, because the sucking motion puts unnecessary strain on your jaw, which could delay your healing.
To learn more about taking care of your dental implants, contact a dentist like Thomas H. Seal DDS.
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