Taste Buds

[Chase_Corin]

My dad is still able to chew semi-soft foods. He avoides things like most meats that require a lot of chewint but things like mashed potatoes and processed meats (chicken fingers, ham) And he can even eat a sandwish as long as it is toasted because fresh bread sticks to the roof of him mouth and he can't get it unstuck.

The issue is that his taste buds don't pick up things any more. He can still enjoy sweet things like Waffles with maple Syrup and also somewhat spicy things like spagetti sauce but things like chicken, potatoes, vegtables of any kind and other similar things according to him "Taste like sawdust"

It is so frustrating to find things that dad will eat, He will say he wants one thing and then we make it and after a couple bites he no longer wants it. I know he is not intentionally doing this but I am sure nobody wants to eat things that taste like sawdust.

I told him that if he wanted to eat doghnuts for the rest of his life I would go and get them for him every day of his existance. Mom just gets so frustrated and dad won't allow us to puree his food. So we really have to watch what we give him. He has choaked in the past and that is a huge concern for us.

 

[notme]

Hon, unless your dad has FTD, he has the right to eat what he wants--as much as I hate to say it.

Find inventive ways to flavor. Bland mashed potatoes with some tasty gravy perhaps. We use seasoning salt and onion powder on things to give them flavor. There are things that can make 'bland' better.

Hamburgers grilled on a Georgeie grill with onion powder and seasoning salt are awesome. Cube steaks can be done the same way. Used properly, they still are moist enough to not stick too badly for now.

No one wants a pureed diet. Make it creative--shakes have nutritional value if some things are added--and can taste good. Nutrition is very important for a PAL, as I'm sure you all know.

There are other soft meats--chicken--pork chops cooked in cream of something soup...all add flavor.

He's grumpy and irritable--and I'm sure you and your mom are too. YOU and MOM can go and get some tips and support perhaps at a local ALS group (if he won't go to one)

Wish there was more to offer

 

[momap53]

I know it's difficult and frustrating to watch your PALS continue to try to eat foods that may make him choke. You'll find similar complaints from other members here in the archives. Chase is your Dad considering the PEG? Has the Dietitian given your Dad some tips and techniques to promote swallowing?
notme has the right idea about the soft meats cut into very small bites and plenty of gravy or sauce for added flavor and ease in swallowing. The sauces and gravy are an excellent vehicle for extra calories in the form of heavy cream.
Wishing you the best of luck.

 

[rachelg]

My husband went through the same thing. He cannot eat now at all but still craves flavour. I think we shouldn't under estimate how much chewing releases the flavours in food and perhaps now that chewing is hard everything seems bland to your dad.

I roast a whole chicken just to snap a tiny morsel off the wings to rest on my husbands tongue for a bit of instant flavour - obviously keeping an eye on him to make sure it stays at the front of his mouth.

Jelly - strong flavoured jellies - lovely for him - the coolness and instant blast of flavour by the look in his eyes is delicious. Mild BBQ sauce from the chinese takeway - nice!

Sweets - literally rested on his tongue - yummy. Strong chocolate puddings with high cocoa content.

Gravy - made with lots of beef stock and red wine - cor - making me feel hungry now!

Whats good one day might not be so good another so I have wasted loads of food in the past but so what.

Now that choking is a risk for your dad, without staring just keep an eye on him. Because my husband shouldnt really be having anything, I sit close with mouth sponges and the suction machine to clear his mouth thoroughly after his flavour blast plus the instant flavour causes big time drooling and its all quite a messy affair but we have learnt to just laugh it off - so what no one else is watching.

Pureed food is horrible - I blended stuff up once and tried it myself and instantly scraped it in the bin - yuk.

 

[brenda barton]

I have similar trouble with food. The heavy grain or whole wheat breads are easier to swallow. White bread no good, becomes a paste and sticks to roof of mouth. Dry meats are out for me, need to be cut in small pieces and have a slippery gravy or sauce on them. Most fruits and veggies are ok but fruit cannot be sour or too tart and vegetables need to soft and bite-sized.

I can handle cottage cheese with a sweet fruit, applesauce and chocolate as it melts in the mouth.

Always have a glass of water near as he will need it to float some things down. Hope this helps

 

[maryhahnward]

I get exactly what you are saying. My PALs has lost some of his taste buds. For him it is the sweet taste buds that seem to be diminished. Makes me so sad because he has always loved food especially sweet ones!

 

[panguinjen]

Rog just got his g-tube, but cooked most of his meals....He'd make stew and blend it.....soups of all kinds......smoothies....stroganoff was blended....it was messy...He and our granddaughter had matching bibs and drooled together. Some foods didn't work and got thrown away....he uses cottage cheese to take his pills, sometimes pudding....keep trying....

With the tube, he's not hungry any more and he tastes whatever I'm eating and we just clean up...
Good luck

Jen

 

[Katie C]

Jen... we found applesauce worked well for pills too.

 

[Chase_Corin]

We have been waiting months for the PEG surgery. We were told dad would have it in January and we have heard nothing.

We have tried the gravies and sauces but he finds chewing anything very hard and when we cut things up too small he thinks we are treating him like a child. He does drink Boost because he prefers the taste of it over Ensure and we make shakes every once in a while when he feels like them with protine powder, chocolate and fruits.

I know my dad's chokeing it related to the ALS but also back in 1998 he had surgery that required him to have a Tracheotomy. The scar tisue from that is still in his throat and he says food gets "Stuck" on it. which I can understand. My dad has had a hard life since his retirement, the surgery that involved the tracheotomy put him in a drug induced coma for 3 months and forced him into months of physio and learning how to walk talk and breathe all over again.

We definately give dad anything he wants to eat anything he tells us we get for him but he has begun to run out of ideas and so have we. We rely on a lot of finger foods processed stuff and anything you can put on toast. Like I said fresh bread sticks in his mouth.

Like some of you said, I think its just the frustration getting to us. Mom and I are out of ideas, I guess I will resort back to reading cookbooks again.