Product Information
Are Real Food Blends meals suitable for kids and adults?
Yes, Real Food Blends products are suitable for kids and adults. Real Food Blends brings 100% real food meals to people with feeding tubes and offers a variety of vegetables, fruits, protein sources, grains, and fat sources across nine different products. Please work with your healthcare team before making any changes to your tube feeding diet.
Are Real Food Blends meals nutritionally complete?
Real Food Blends can be used as a primary source of nutrition or in conjunction with commercial formula. Our 100% real food meals are made from simple ingredients and offer a variety of protein sources, fruits, vegetables, grains and fat sources, with the exclusion of dairy. If you use Real Food Blends as primary source of nutrition, talk to your healthcare team about taking a multivitamin & mineral supplement, as well as an additional calcium source. Your healthcare team can help determine the amount of supplementation you need. Real Food Blends is made with whole food ingredients, which are naturally low in sodium. Therefore, additional sodium may be needed to meet your specific needs. Speak with your healthcare team before making changes to your tube feeding routine and follow your healthcare professional’s recommendation.
What is the shelf life of Real Food Blends?
Real Food Blends meals are shelf-stable for two years from the manufacture date. We recommend checking the back of the pouch and use by the listed expiration date.
Can Real Food Blends meals be used orally?
Real Food Blends meals were created for people with a feeding tube. The blends may be consumed orally, though please note the meals have no added sugar* or salt**. Therefore, the flavor is not optimized for oral intake. We recommend working with your healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, especially if you are following a texture-modified diet.
*Not a low-calorie food.
**Not a sodium-free food.
Should I add sodium to Real Food Blends meals?
Real Food Blends meals are made with whole food ingredients and have no added salt*. Depending on your nutritional needs, you might need to add salt. We recommend talking to your healthcare team in order to define the amount of sodium you need per day. You can then simply add in salt, or chicken broth, etc. to meet your specific needs. We have resources available for your healthcare team here: https://www.nutricialearningcenter.com/globalassets/pdfs/blenderized-tube-feeding/rfb_sodium-and-calcium_july-2024.pdf
Are the Real Food Blends meals gluten free?
Real Food Blends meals are not certified gluten free. Our meals do not contain any raw ingredients with gluten; however, they are produced in a facility that handles gluten ingredients.
Are there any allergens in Real Food Blends meals?
There are no dairy, nut, or soy ingredients in our Real Food Blends meals. Please consult product labels for specific allergen information. Our Eggs, Apples & Oats meal contains eggs. Our Salmon, Oats & Squash meal contains fish.
Administration
What is the French size that Real Food Blends meals can be administered through?
Our meals may be used with a G-tube 12 French or larger. Real Food Blends meals are ready-to-feed via bolus syringe. Consider adding liquid for pump or gravity feeding. Consult your medical team before making any changes to your tube feeding plan. You may also view our administration videos on our Real Food Blends YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@RealFoodBlends/videos.
Note: Our video currently says 14 French, but you can use 12 French with the updated products (launched in 2025).
What is the hang time of Real Food Blends meals?
The hang time of Real Food Blends is 2 hours, which is consistent with American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) recommendation of a 2-hour hang time for a homemade blenderized tube feeding. Real Food Blends meals are shelf-stable, though once opened the pouches should be used within 2 hours or stored in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Discard unused contents thereafter. Real Food Blends is made from 100% real food and no synthetic ingredients.
Do I need to add water to Real Food Blends meals?
Real Food Blends meals are ready-to-feed via bolus syringe. Liquid may be added for pump or gravity feeding. Please work with your healthcare professional to determine additional fluid for pump or gravity, and to meet your specific hydration needs.
How do I transition to Real Food Blends?
If this is your first time using Real Food Blends, we suggest a slow and smooth transition to our products. You can access our transition guide for some general tips about transitioning to Real Food Blends here: https://www.realfoodblends.com/transitioning/
How should I store and handle Real Food Blends meals?
UUnopened Real Food Blends meals should be stored at room temperature and do not need to be refrigerated. Real Food Blends meals are shelf-stable. Once opened the pouches should be used within 2 hours or stored in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Discard unused contents thereafter.
Reimbursement
Are Real Food Blends meals covered by insurance?
Real Food Blends meals and snack are covered by many public and private insurance plans under HCPCS B4149 and can be provided by your DME or home infusion company. Here is a list of DMEs that may carry Real Food Blends products: https://www.realfoodblends.com/insurance/
Do you offer any assistance when exploring insurance coverage?
Real Food Blends customers have access to Nutricia Navigator, a free assistance program with 1:1 support to help you navigate the complexities of insurance coverage. Visit www.Nutricia- NA.com/NutriciaNavigator for more information.
If I do not have insurance coverage, can I still purchase Real Food Blends?
Yes, you can purchase Real Food Blends without a prescription directly here: https://www.realfoodblends.com/shop/our-products/. You can also purchase Real Food Blends on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/realfoodblends