Our baby boy, Kaz, is the youngest of three. Kaz was diagnosed with a rare genetic brain disorder called Lissencephaly before he turned one. This disorder is usually associated with feeding difficulties. With all the emotions we went through after his diagnosis, there was one “aha” moment. We realized this was the reason Kaz had such trouble bottle feeding. After a swallow study was done, the doctors recommended a G-tube be placed due to his silent aspiration. We were so grateful. No more bottle feeds that would take over an hour. No more watching our baby boy struggle and choke from drinking. But with the G-tube came a whole new set of issues.

Kaz was started on a standard formula, which caused many stomach issues. He was in constant pain from feeling bloated and constipated. Constant pain meant constant crying. After a month on the formula, the doctors became concerned about his weight gain, and we were concerned about all the pain he was in. We knew something different was needed, something real. We decided a blenderized diet would be best for him, but with three kids and a full-time job, there was absolutely no way I would have time to blend our own food. Then Real Food Blends came to the rescue and saved us! I was introduced to Real Food Blends through our wonderful Lissencephaly online community, and I immediately called the GI doctor to speak with him. After researching, he agreed this would be the best option to try, and the products were covered by our insurance.

Within two weeks we saw significant weight gain! No more bloating. No more constipation. We had our happy little boy back. His smile and wonderful giggles returned. We could see the joy on his face again. Kaz has been on Real Food Blends for two years and it has been an incredible blessing for him and our family. We recently took a trip to Hawaii to celebrate Kaz’s 3rd birthday. Traveling with the Real Food Blends packs and knowing Kaz would still be getting the nutrition he needed while on vacation was amazing.

My name is John and I’m a 68-year-old retiree from Austin, TX. On October 3rd, 2017, I had major jaw replacement/reconstruction surgery. Bone and tissue were harvested from my body to construct a new mandible. I had oral cancer 42 years ago, and the long-term side effects of the radiation were the cause of my reconstruction. I’m one of the longest oral cancer survivors in the US. I stayed in the ICU/hospital for a month and ended up having 3 more surgeries during this time.
Because of my surgeries, I was unable to eat or drink, so I was given a standard commercial tube feeding formula using a machine that continuously fed me during the day/night. I think this nutrition was the source of several issues like constipation and possibly high blood sugar, and that’s a problem because I’m diabetic. My doctor and dietitian didn’t offer any other alternative at that time.

When it was near the end of my hospital stay, I had a G-tube placed to receive nutrition at home. This was supposed to be temporary until I fully recovered from my surgery but unfortunately it was not. We got home on November 3^rd, and my wife Peggy went to search on the internet, looking for alternatives to what we had. At the time, we thought it would be a short-term only issue but still wanted to find something like real food.

Peggy found Real Food Blends and we knew we were on to something, so we ordered several cases. After a few days of consuming Real Food Blends meals, it was apparent that we had hit the jackpot. I felt normal. Real Food Blends offers 6 different meals and I felt like I was finally giving my body what it needed.
I’m so very grateful that companies like Real Food Blends exist. Trying to blenderize food can be messy and a lot of work. Today I’m happy and healthy and grateful to be alive.

My daughter, Evely, is an amazing 6-year-old who loves music!

Our G-tube journey began when Evely was just 3 months old and recovering from heart surgery. This was initially thought to be temporary, but we would eventually receive several diagnoses that made swallowing challenging. We were prescribed several different commercial formulas. They made Evely sick every single time. Finding a tube feeding option with whole foods was very important to me. Reading the ingredient label on the commercial formulas was especially hard because I would maybe not have chosen them for Evely from a shelf in a supermarket.

I stumbled upon Real Food Blends website while doing some late-night research on G-tubes. Blending foods for Evely had become extremely time-consuming with the amount of time we were spending in hospitals and doctor’s offices. I was so grateful to have found a company that we could trust to bring ease to our situation. I also love that there is such a variety of options.

Evely has grown so much since starting Real Food Blends, “failure to thrive” has now been removed from her diagnosis list.

I recommend anyone part of the feeding tube community speak with their registered dietitian about a blenderized diet.

You may have heard that Lyons Magnus announced that, following continued collaboration and consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it has expanded its voluntary recall of nutritional and beverage products due to illness concerns. This recall encompassed formulas for patients with feeding tubes, such as Ensure Harvest™ and PediaSure Harvest™ from Abbott, as well as multiple products from Kate Farms®.

You can read more about the Magnus announcement by following this link here.

Nutricia products, including Real Food Blends®, are not involved in the Lyons Magnus recall.

Real Food Blends products remain safe options to provide real food and nutritional variety to people with feeding tubes, as recommended by a healthcare professional. At Real Food Blends, our mission is to bring true blenderized diet to as many people with feeding tubes as possible.

Real Food Blends meals & snack provide nutritional variety from real food ingredients across our six meals and one snack.

The number one piece of advice we hear for traveling is to plan ahead for a peace of mind. Planning your travel with enough time to prepare will make your trip much smoother and allow everyone to enjoy themselves even more – which is what vacation is all about!

Often people like to choose a place with easy access to supermarkets and if

 needed, a hospital. We have a couple of tips when planning your travel

1. Ship your supply directly to your hotel/rental- Sending your meals and any other supplies you will need directly to your hotel ahead of time will make packing for your trip easier. This will prevent you from having to pack it in your car or in your luggage for the airplane. Simply call the place you are planning to stay and double check what information needs to be on the shipping label and how many days they will hold it for you.
2.  Ask your DME to ship what you need & emergency supply- Having enough supply and extra is always your best bet. You will never know when you may need extra supplies, so it is better to be on the safe side and have your DME send you extra. You can never be too prepared!

You can ship your favorite Real Food Blends meals and snack anywhere in the United States. We’d advise to order up to two weeks in advance to take into account delivery time. Shipping is included in our price. Don’t forget to tag us in your photos!

Many activities can still be done even if you or a loved one have a feeding tube!
From hiking, to swimming and more, there are still many things you can do with a feeding tube. You can even take your Real Food Blends meals with you on-the-go being they are in ready to feed pouches!
Our new Real Food Blends Mini Prunes, Pears & Pumpkin would also be a fantastic option to take along on your adventures! Its small size makes it easy to bring along with you and have a snack on the go if you need to!