The first time I had strep throat was freshman year of college, and within the next six months, I had some sort of throat infection six times. While most tonsillectomies take place during childhood, if you’re one of the unlucky few like me your tonsils might need to come out later in life (i.e. when you’ll remember the pain).
A tonsillectomy is a one-day procedure done under general anesthesia (you’re asleep). While the surgery itself was quick and painless, the two week recovery period following was absolutely anything but. Like children’s shows have taught me, I thought I could just eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and be good as new, however I was completely mistaken.
While eating was terribly painful, food and its nutrients are necessary to heal. My surgeon stressed that I must eat soft, bland foods. I had to avoid anything hard, crunchy, crispy, sticky, spicy, or acidic. Here is a list of foods I could actually eat after my tonsillectomy.
1. Water
Water is extremely important. It helps keep you hydrated and keeps your throat from drying out, which prevents even more pain. Even if you can’t manage to choke down any food, try to take a sip of water, juice, or an electrolyte drink.
2. All-Fruit Popsicles or Frozen Fruit
I found that too much sugar irritated my throat, which cut out the option of eating ice cream. Instead, I ate all-fruit popsicles or frozen fruit for some soothing cold relief, without the irritating sugar. For when your throat is healed, try these watermelon margarita popsicles!
3. Apple Sauce
Apple sauce was perfect to mix with my ground-up antibiotic, because I was unable to swallow a pill on my own
#SpoonTip: Check with your doctor to make sure you are allowed to crush your pill.
4. Oatmeal
After my tonsillectomy, I enjoyed eating oatmeal (make sure it’s not too thick or too hot) mixed with cut up banana, a spoonful of peanut butter for protein, and a dash of cinnamon.
5. Soup
I tended to avoid tomato-based soups because they were slightly acidic, but chicken and vegetable soups were easy to eat. Try this caldo verde Portuguese soup.
6. Sweet potatoes
Roasted sweet potatoes are soft, full of fiber, and delicious. Try these healthy twice-baked sweet potatoes.
7. Pancakes
Pancakes are fluffy and easy to chew. I skipped the sugary syrup and cooked some blueberries into my pancakes instead. For a twist, try these pumpkin protein pancakes.
8. Eggs
Eggs were the perfect source of protein and very versatile. I ate them scrambled, fried, poached, in an omelet, and in a frittata.
9. Yogurt
My doctor advised that some patients avoid dairy while recovering because they believe milk products cause more phlegm (making it harder to swallow), but ultimately leaves the decision up to the individual. I ate plain Greek yogurt or mixed it with frozen berries for a smoothie.
10. Pasta and Noodles
After a few days of recovery, I was ready to eat something a little more solid, like pasta. Again, I avoided tomato sauce and ate something like this breadcrumb pasta instead.
11. Cereal and Milk
Although cereal is a crunchy food, I soaked my cereal in milk until the point of complete sogginess. Cheerios and Chex are perfect for this.
12. Fish
While my go-to protein is usually chicken, baked fish is much more tender and easy to chew, with an added bonus of omega-3 fats. Try this super easy honey-dijon salmon.
The typical recovery time for an adult tonsillectomy is about two weeks. Yes, I had to eat two full weeks of soft food. Patients can typically return to a normal diet after their post-operation appointment with their doctor.