Natural Tube Feeding

17/06/2022

New guest blog post! Check out the Natural Tube Feeding Blog via the link in my bio to read Marissa’s story of using blended food for her son Gregory’s G-tube feeding and his current J-tube feeding.

Gregory has CDKL5 deficiency disorder, a rare disease that affects development by impacting proteins that are essential for normal brain and neuron function. There can also be feeding challenges and some kids with CDLK5 need tube feeding.

Today is and an opportunity to raise funds for a cure. Check out or if you want to help. Also, be sure to visit Marissa’s Instagram page where you can buy a beautiful painting by Gregory and know that all the funds go to CDKL5 research.

24/04/2022

New guest blog post! J-tube feeding blended food!

Nic and Rachel of tell their story of how, and why, they use blended food for their J-tube feeding.

Nic and Rachel are J-tube fed due to digestive issues relating to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. They both have a passion for sustainable living and animals. Their choice to use blended food aligns with these values. Perhaps most importantly, they acknowledge that there is a lot with their chronic illness that they can’t control, but making their own blended meals allows them to fuel their bodies in a way that makes them feel their best.

Read their guest post on my blog for all the details!

https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/blending-for-the-j-tube
(Photo shows foods for blending from Nic and Rachel’s home garden)

15/04/2022

Easter Tube Feeding Recipe! 🐰

If you’re looking for a simple, nutritious, Easter-themed blend, try this carrot cake blended oatmeal!

Like all my recipes, this meal was designed to be perfect for tube feeding AND delicious tasting. That way, it can be enjoyed by mouth or by tube. So, if you are looking to share a blended meal this Easter, give this one a try.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup milk or plant-based milk
1/2 cup chopped steamed carrots
2 medjool dates with pits removed (if you have a weaker blender you can substitute the dates with a little honey or maple syrup)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp cream cheese (can use a plant-based cream cheese or coconut cream for a dairy free/vegan option)
1 tsp minced fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp dried powdered ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Steps:
Blend all ingredients together until smooth and free from visible food particles. This may take several minutes, depending on your blender. Add more milk if you need a thinner texture (this will depend on the tube size and feeding method). Strain as needed and enjoy!

Nutrition Details:
This recipe makes about a 600 mL blend and contains around 600 calories, 20 g protein, 20 g fat, 80 g carbohydrates, 13 g fibre, 435 mg sodium, 570 mg phosphate, and 1150 mg potassium.

Have a wonderful Easter 💛

02/04/2022

Do you, or a loved-one, have a J-tube? Ever wondered if you can use blended food for J-tube feeding?

If you’re curious about this topic, check out my latest blog post to learn more.

I’m happy to say that you don’t have to just take my word for it….in my next guest blog post share their experience using blended food for their J-tube feeding. I can’t wait to share their story.

Plus - I will be providing tips on using blended food for J-tube feeding and how to get started, in an upcoming blog post. So stay tuned!

If anyone reading this is interested in using blended food for J-tube feeding, or has used/is using blended food for J-tube feeding, I would love to hear from you. Please comment below 👇

17/03/2022

I’m presenting at a clinician-focused virtual feeding conference starting on March 24th. This conference is organized by and is geared towards anyone who works with kiddos who have speech or feeding delays. I’m going to be talking about blended diets and how the use of blended food for tube feeding can help support transitions to oral diets. Basically this- if kids are seeing, smelling, touching and even tasting real food every day at home when tube fed….this likely helps with progression to the next step- eating! Please check out my session if this topic interests you😀

10/02/2022

Hey guys! I’m doing a live chat and taking questions this Friday at 6 pm PST in a collaboration with the 22q Family Foundation

22q11.2 Deletion syndrome or 22q (also known as DiGeorge syndrome) is a disorder caused by a small missing piece of the 22nd chromosome. This tiny missing portion of chromosome 22 can affect every system in the human body and cause mild to serious developmental delays in kids. Some kids in the 22q community need tube feeding so I put together an informative YouTube video covering feeding tube basics and the option of using blended food. If you’re interested in learning about these topics, check out the video on my YouTube channel (it’s also on the 22q Family Foundation YouTube channel) and join us for the Instagram Live this Friday.

I’ll be speaking with Lindsey, the director of the foundation. Her son has 22q and was tube fed for many years. She will be sharing her experience and I will be answering tube feeding questions. I hope you will join us.

08/02/2022

Hi guys! As you may have heard, it's ! I was asked by the The 22q Family Foundation to create an informative webinar about tube feeding and give an introduction to the option of blending. If you're interested in this topic, check out the webinar video and join me for a LIVE Q&A session on Friday at 6 pm PST.

This video brings awareness to feeding tubes, their purpose, and also introduces natural tube feeding through blenderized diets. Registered Dietician and cre...

06/02/2022

Join me for a special Instagram Live with Hannah Setzer from .fitness . Hannah and I have been friends ever since we met through Instagram back when it seemed like we were the only two accounts with a focus on tube feeding. Hannah is passionate about moving her body every day and has an eBook outlining 30 days of achievable workouts. She also cooks up elderberry syrup, pretty much runs a farm, has a bunch of kids and is writing a book! She has the most honest, entertaining and inspiring content on her instagram page and she might be the most interesting person you will ever meet. She also has had a feeding tube her whole life.

We’re going LIVE together to talk about feeding tubes, blended diets and whatever else pops into our minds. Plus, we will answer any questions that you guys might have. I hope you will join us on Feb 8th, 2022 at noon PST/ 3pm EST

04/02/2022

New blended tube feeding recipe video coming soon! I’m hoping to have it posted next week during

It’s a spring inspired recipe…I’m being optimistic!! Who else is excited for longer days and warmer weather?!

23/12/2021

Looking for a holiday tube feeding recipe? I've got you covered. Check out my blog:
https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/gingerbread-blend-tube-feeding-recipe

I'm so pleased to share this homemade tube feeding recipe which is inspired by the holiday season but can be enjoyed at any time during the year. It's simple, eas

06/11/2021

My research is published!

This study has been something that I have been working on for over 2 years in partnership with a colleague who shares my interest in blended diets for tube feeding. We realized that fear of feeding tube blockages is a major factor in why there is still a lot of hesitation about using blended food for tube feeding and policies against its use remain fairly common in health care systems.

Our question was essentially….Does blended food for tube feeding cause feeding tube blockages or not? There was no research to say that it does, and not much research to say that it doesn’t. We set out to design a study that would hopefully help answer this question.

Our findings were surprising (in a good way!). When we looked back at the medical records of 20 adult patients with ALS who received their nutrition via G-tube at home during a 2 year period, there were no feeding tube blockages. Not a single one! I have written a blog post about this research so if you’re curious for all the study details, check that out.

The key message from the study is best said in our conclusion: “Further research is needed to unequivocally rule out feeding tube occlusion as a risk of blended diets; however, considering the benefits and the growing interest among patients and caregivers, it is important that clinicians do not restrict this enteral nutrition option based on perceived risk of feeding tube occlusion, as there is no evidence to suggest such risk.”

I really hope that this study’s findings will contribute to greater acceptance of blended diets. If you want to share your thoughts on this topic, I’d love to hear from you!

26/09/2021

New Blog Post! Sharing why I made the Natural Tube Feeding Blended Diet Online Course. Read if you're curious :)

https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/blended-diet-online-course

In this post, learn about the Natural Tube Feeding Blended Diet Online Course and why Claire Kariya decided it was important to create a series of videos showing how to prepare safe and nutritious blended meals for tube feeding. No matter where you live in the world, you can learn everything you nee...

29/05/2021

New guest blog post!

Thank you so much to Nina for sharing her experience with her daughter’s tube feeding on the Natural Tube Feeding blog. Nina and Emily have been on a tube feeding journey for over three years and Nina has written candidly about their experience.

I think that many people will relate to being in the care of a medical team that is not initially supportive of blenderized tube feeding. Hopefully this will become less common in the future. In Nina's case, her support came from the mom of another tube fed child and she was able to implement a blended diet for Emily thanks to this important connection.

To hear Nina’s story, visit the Natural Tube Feeding Blog:
https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/blended-diet-for-emily

It's an honour to have this opportunity to share Nina's story on my blog. She and her tube fed daughter, Emily, have come a long way. They made the change to a blended diet for her tube feeding and found support from another mom of a tube fed child....

17/03/2021

If there was ever a day for a green blend, it’s today!!

What are you guys blending for St. Patrick’s Day? Spinach? Kale? Broccoli? So many great options for making a green blended meal!

If you’re not sure what to make or you feel like trying out a new recipe, check out the “Fresh Summer Blend” on my blog! I know it’s not summer yet- this recipe is from a while ago, but it’s one of my favourites. It’s got simple nutritious ingredients like peas, potatoes and ricotta cheese, and it comes out a beautiful bright green!

Bonus- it’s a perfect 1 calorie per mL concentration and it’s high in protein! You’ll find it on my blog:

https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/fresh-summer-blend-blenderized-tube-feeding-recipe

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

15/03/2021

For those of you interested in learning how to create safe and nutritious blended meals for tube feeding - this online course is for you. Learn on demand at home, at your own pace. Your teacher is me, Claire, a registered dietitian and blenderized tube feeding expert.

A blended diet offers many benefits, but you need to know what you're doing in order to make sure your nutrition goals are met. This course will give you the knowledge and skills you need to make sure your blends are on point. Plus you get a ton of great resources and recipe templates to make blending easy.

If the course interests you, sign up on my website and start learning right away:

https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/blended-diet-course

15/02/2021

A healthy and nutritious Valentine's Day Recipe is up on my blog! If you're looking for a recipe that's perfect for tube feeding but also tastes delicious, this is it. Perfect to share with a loved one, whether they eat by mouth or by tube!
https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/post/chocolate-covered-strawberry-blend

The perfect recipe for Valentine's Day, or any occasion where you'd like to make a yummy blend that is highly nutritious for tube feeding, but also delicious for sharing with family members that eat by mouth. This recipe might look like a decadent treat, but in fact, it has no added sugar. There's a...

09/02/2021

It's Feeding Tube Awareness Week! - An opportunity to raise awareness about tube feeding and the positive benefits that feeding tubes can provide to tube fed people!

If you would like to help spread the word about Feeding Tube Awareness Week, feel free to share or repost one of the illustrations posted above. Swipe right to see all the options and pick your favourite, or better yet, print and colour your own version! The colouring page PDFs are available to download on my blog https://www.naturaltubefeeding.com/blog

Let's raise feeding tube awareness together!!

24/01/2021

Thank you so much to every single one of you following my account! When I first got on instagram as a tube feeding dietitian, I had no idea that I was about to find a supportive community and make genuine friendships. I also didn’t realize how much I would learn from YOU.

I started this account because there seemed to be a major lack of information on blenderized tube feeding. Worse, I would hear that tube fed people (or their loved ones) are not told about their option to blend, and simply told it’s “not allowed “ if they ask. That really bothered me and made me want to show that there are dietitians who support blending.

So, I dove into the tube feeding community and started creating recipes and resources to make it easier for people to create nutritious blends for themselves or their loved one. I also redirected my research focus to blenderized tube feeding.

Aside from Natural Tube Feeding, I continue to work as a clinical dietitian at a large hospital in Vancouver, Canada. The past year has been challenging but I’ve tried to make use of my time at home by working on my Blended Diet Online Course. It’s nearly done now and I really hope that it will be a game changer for people looking for guidance on how to make nutritious blended meals.

I owe you all a thank you for embracing me into your tube feeding community and showing me your vulnerability and resilience. It inspires me to keep up my work and my research.

If you’re a dietitian or other health care provider that supports blending, let me know in the comments! If you’re a tube fed person, or a caregiver for a tube fed adult or child, say hi!