If you have a broken jaw, you'll need to alter your diet while it heals. It takes up to eight weeks for a fractured jaw to heal. According to Frederick L. Steinbeck, D.D.S., M.D., you may lose up to 10 percent of your body weight while you wait for a broken jaw to heal. Though milkshakes and drinks are a main component of your diet, you may be able to eat other foods. If your jaw has been wired always carry a pair of blunt scissors with you in case of vomiting or nausea, so you can cut the bands to prevent choking, advises the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Breakfast
Blend or puree oatmeal or hot instant breakfast. Instead of water, use milk or half and half for additional calories. Sweeten your breakfast with honey. Puree fruits such as bananas, peaches, blueberries to add to vanilla yogurt or pureed cottage cheese. Mix with fruit juice or milk to thin your breakfast and make it easier to drink with a straw, suggests Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System. If you like cereal, soak your cereal in milk until it is to a consistency you can eat.
Lunch
A sample lunch menu may include cooked pasta blended with tomato sauce. Add extra fresh herbs and spices for additional flavor. Thickened soups and stews are also nutritious choices. Add extra milk and pureed vegetables for additional flavor and nutrients. Serve all foods at room temperature, as foods that are too hot or too cold may cause pain in your jaw or teeth.
Dinner
For dinner, enjoy blended meats mixed with gravy or tomato sauce. Meats blend better when slightly warm. Include soft, cooked vegetables and fruits. Mashed tomatoes flavored with gravy, sour cream or butter create a side high in calories. Drink milk with dinner meal, as well as with other meals and snacks.
Beverages and Snacks
Flavor milk with chocolate syrup or mix together with instant breakfast powders. You can also have instant coffee, sherbet or ice cream for added calories. Add fresh fruit, smooth style peanut butter and wheat germ to drinks for additional calories. Do not add raw eggs into smoothies to avoid salmonella poisoning.
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