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Caren Baginski
April 4, 2012
2 Min Read
On Friday, I need to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed. Aside from freaking out about the surgery itself (I've never been "under" before) and the healing process, I'm more worried about feeding myself well during recovery.
That's because my doctor recommends JELL-O, Sprite, saltines and mashed potatoes as post-operative soft foods to eat. Oral surgery clearly hasn't been influenced by the natural food industry. What's a health-conscious vegan (who doesn't eat any of these) to do?
So I took to the Internet to find solutions. No surprise here: the foods people ate weren’t much better than what my oral surgeon recommended. But then again, unless you live in a health bubble (me in Colorado), it's always a little shocking to see what the rest of the country eats on a daily basis. Just check out our Future of Wellness research.
After consulting various foodie message boards, here's what I won't be eating. Instead, I'll opt for healthier, vegan foods.
Wendy's Frosty
"As far as I'm concerned Frosties are the holy grail of post-extraction nourishment" wrote one user on Chowhound. I hope they were referring to the cold effect, and not the actual nutrition in a large Frosty, which has 600 calories, 16 grams of fat and 84 grams of sugar.
What I'm eating: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Chocolate ice cream, which has 100 calories, 8 grams of fat and 1 gram of sugar per serving
Carnation Breakfast Essentials
The Classic French Vanilla is made with nonfat milk, sugar, artificial flavors and no doubt GMOs (corn oil). No thanks.
What I'm eating: CalNaturale Svelte French Vanilla organic protein drink and green smoothies made in my Vitamix
KFC Mashed Potatoes
Tempting, you know, because I live within walking distance of a KFC.
What I'm eating: Brendan Brazier's Mashed Potatoes and Turnips recipe in Thrive Foods – dairy free and a better source of protein, vitamins and minerals with the addition of turnips
JELL-O
Gelatin's a no-no for vegans, as it's made from the collagen inside animals' bones.
What I'm eating: Organic applesauce (apples are #1 in pesticide content) and good old-fashioned oatmeal
After the first or second day, I'm moving on to miso soup and butternut squash soup. If the pain meds make me nauseated, I'm opting for ginger tea over Sprite and saltines. Wish me luck!
What did you eat after you got your wisdom teeth removed? Leave a comment and commiserate with me about how I'm going to be just fine (I hope!).
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