Pizza & beer anyone?

Our customers have surprised us with their ingenuity and lengths they will go to for real food. (Coming from a mom that lugged a Vitamix on a plane with two kids, a double stroller and two carseats, this is really saying something!)

We’ve received so much positive feedback to our meals, right out of the pouch.  That easy access to real food was my ultimate goal of starting Real Food Blends. One of the coolest parts of this feedback, to me, has been how some of you are customizing your meals to fit your needs.  Quinoa meal too thick? Adding some almond milk helps it flows through the pump. Salmon too thin? Blended up (in a regular ol’ blender) with a banana and voila – thicker blend to help with reflux.  Some are adding oil to bump the calories, mixing with formula to trial real foods, or adding ½ cup kefir to make a larger serving.

My goal with Real Food Blends was never to create a one-size-fits all formula. I knew every meal wouldn’t be perfect for everyone as is, and that’s okay.  (Can you imagine if a restaurant didn’t offer condiments or cooked their eggs only one way??) This is your body. These are your meals. Personalize. Customize. Feed it all, feed a little, mix with formula, strain for a pump, use as a base for other blends, whatever works for you or your tubie.

Another goal of mine was to de-medicalize the process of tube-feeding. Instead of a ‘feed’,  have a meal!  Every single caregiver we surveyed that normally feeds a formula diet said they ‘felt better about’ feeding a Real Food Blend meal.  A psychological lift along with 100% real food?  What could be better?! I know I instantly felt more like AJ’s mom, and less like a nurse, once I started making food for him.  I’m happy to be able to pass on some of those good vibes!

Along these same lines, Marsha Dunn Klein, the author of the “Homemade Blended Diet Formula Handbook” and an advisor to Real Food Blends, tells a fantastic story about a family whose father had a tube and he really hated it.  He was a real “man’s man” / salt-of-the-earth type. Marsha asked him if he would feel better if the family blended up pizza and a beer? He thought about it for a minute and replied, emphatically, YES! So the family did. The dad had pizza and a beer and felt a little more normal. (Not that we’re advocating blending alcohol, but you get the point.)

If we help one family feel a little better about having the tube, or one tubie feel a little more included in a family meal-time, we consider that a major win.

(This is not medical advice. Always consult with your medical team before making any changes to a tube-fed person’s diet.)

If you’ve tried to place an order for our salmon meals or sample pack, you will notice they are backordered and will not ship until May! We have officially sold out of the salmon cases and sample packs; inventory levels are VERY low on the quinoa and chicken meals. If you want them in the next 10-12 weeks, I encourage you to buy now.

Our community has spoken loud and clear that people with feeding tubes deserve real food.  I’m so excited to see how our feeding tube community, medical professionals and nutritionists have embraced Real Food Blends. We are heading back into production in April and will be producing a much larger amount of meals, now that we know you all want them!

As the CEO of Real Food Blends, selling out makes me happy for the business. As a mom of a tube-fed kid, I know how disheartening it can be to not have easy access to real food. Please know we’re doing everything we can to get these meals out quickly. In the meantime, we will be working on making the insurance process easier for our customers, having our meals available at hospitals, and adding new meals / products to make life with a feeding tube a little easier.

You will be able to reserve cases of Real Food Blends meals now for shipment in May with the same promotional $8 flat rate shipping. This will guarantee that you will get the meals as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your support and patience.

Julie

We are pleased to announce that Real Food Blends™ products have been approved by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) for code B4149.  The code B4149 applies to enteral formula, manufactured blenderized natural foods with intact nutrients, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, may include fiber, administered through an enteral feeding tube, 100 calories = 1 unit.

So what does this mean to you? 

Having a HCPCS code does not imply automatic reimbursement but it does indicate recognition of the product as appropriate for consideration for reimbursement in the tube feeding category. This is a first step toward gaining other insurance coverage for our meals, which we know is so important to many tube-fed people.    This  HCPCS code is used by hospitals,  long term care institutions, and home care businesses for medical reimbursement requests. Other payer sources may look to the HCPCS coding as a “stamp of approval.” While the code itself does not guarantee payment, it hopefully makes it easier to gain consideration  We are continuing to seek additional agency approvals to help facilitate other providers consideration for reimbursement coverage. Stay tuned here for more updates on insurance coverage & reimbursement.

When seeking reimbursement be sure to work with your provider representative to understand your eligibility and required documentation. See our reimbursement page for hints and tips regarding insurance and reimbursement.

And reminding us all that Real Food Blends is not just for kids:

Thank you to everyone that has shared their pictures, stories and smiles with us. Please share yours as well either on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or plain ol’ fashioned email to julie@realfoodblends.com.