Meals You Can Eat With a Broken Jaw

A large bowl of hot breakfast cereal.
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A broken jaw is a break in the jawbone. To promote healing, you need to limit movement of your jawbone. These limitations require you to follow a soft, liquid diet. Meeting your nutrient needs can be a challenge with a broken jaw. To help you meet your needs, aim for six mini meals a day instead of three large meals, and use high-calorie liquids to boost your intake.

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Breakfast

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Limit your intake of very hot and very cold foods, suggests Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Choose high-calorie beverages for breakfast, such as milk and juice, to maximize your calorie intake and save low-calorie coffee and tea for when you can eat solid food. A high-calorie breakfast meal for a broken jaw may include 1 cup of blended hot cereal, thinned with 1 cup of whole milk or cream and sweetened with 2 tbsp. of brown sugar.

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Mid-morning Snack

Use a straw to sip fluids and help prevent irritation to your stitches, according to The University of Mississippi Medical Center. Include a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, to ensure you meet your entire nutrient needs. A fruit smoothie makes a healthy choice for people with a broken jaw. Blend 1 cup of fruit juice with one banana and 1 cup of strawberries, and add 2 tbsp. of peanut butter for extra calories and protein.

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Lunch

Blended soups make a good choice for people with a broken jaw. Choose cream-based soups and strain or blend the soups if needed to eliminate chewing. To boost the protein content of your soup, add a jar of baby meat. A high-calorie soup lunch for a broken jaw may include 1 cup of cream of mushroom soup, blended with one 2 1/2 oz. jar of baby chicken meat. Thin your soup with heavy cream to the right consistency. Drink milk or juice with your lunch for added calories.

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Mid-Afternoon Snack

Make a high-calorie peach flavored milkshake for your mid-afternoon snack. Blend 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream and 1 cup of canned peaches.

Dinner

You can blend any meal into a form you can tolerate with a broken jaw. Cook meat until tender and blend 3 oz. in a food processor or blender using au jus or gravy to thin the consistency to a tolerable level. Next, add 1 cup of peas for extra nutrition. Complete the meal with mashed potatoes thinned with heavy cream and butter.

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Evening Snack

Use can take nutritional supplements to help you meet your calorie, protein and vitamin needs. Mix instant breakfast powder with whole milk for a quick evening snack or try one of the ready-to-drink nutritional supplements.

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