Writing down the foods you give and checking with a nutrition app will give you a good idea of where you may need more or less of a nutrient.  I've linked with permission to this web article, as there are details of how to ensure good nutrition for individual children using more scientific methods. 

https://simpletangles.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/feed-food-and-maths/  

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The NHS Eatwell site contains useful advice on food types and amounts  

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http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/goodfood/Pages/the-eatwell-guide.aspx

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Another method of working out how much to feed is to aim to match the calories in the formula feed with your blends, divided up through the day.  That’s the easiest way to start.  This may need adjusting as full BD is taken.

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This may be difficult initially as you may not achieve volume tolerance for some time.  In which case fats are high in calories as are simple sugars, and low in volume.  It is easy to find a list of high calorie foods on the internet.  Try to make them healthy and not empty calories.  Avocado for example is high in good fats and calorie packed.  If your child does not tolerate fat well you will need to use carbohydrates instead.  Look for high calories ones.  Snacks between 'meals' can be helpful as the volume is low and you can make the calorie count high.

  

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If you have a supportive dietician ask them to work out some meal plans and the calories and fluids your child needs in a day..

 

The thicker the blend the better it stays in the stomach.  I aim for a thick batter consistency that will run slowly off the spoon.

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We use Kimberley Clarke extension sets.  The only syringes available now are Enfit ones, which have a screw in cap to the extension tube and to the PEG tube.  There are various extension sets for bolus feeds so be aware you need something that is fairly straight.  Worth shopping around to find what is right. 

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60 ml syringes are best once volumes have been reached.  Reusable ones can be washed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and if stiff, a little cooking oil makes it smoother to push.  Most people have found the 'O' ring syringes best.  These are the ones with a thin rubber band and not the thick black bung, which are a nightmare to push.  We like the Medicina reusable syringes.  They are more cost effective, as reusable so advise the prescriber of this when you discuss syringe preference.  

 

We put the blend into a non plastic bowl drawn up through the syringe.  Prime the extension set and give slowly.  About the same rate as you would eat the meal.  Children are different so take it at your child’s pace.  It may need to be given over an hour, which is time consuming but usually improves with time.

 

Initially calorie and volume count, but eventually you will know the types of foods and volume your child tolerates so you can stop unless there is a specific reason it needs to be exact.

 

You can blend a portion of the family meal after it is cooked.  This suits some families but ensure calories and volume are adequate.

 

You can batch cook and freeze individual portions.  Defrost in the fridge and give at a comfortable temperature.  Very cold food can be unpleasant for the child.

 

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You can make a ‘perfectly balanced’ blend at the beginning of the day and keep it in the fridge and decant into portions during the day.  This is ideal if the child is unable to eat anything.

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You can have ‘typical’ meals, meat, fish, vegetables.  This is great as the child can eat some of the blend if they are on pureed meals.

Children usually will ‘taste’ some of their blends when they reflux or burp, so I believe they should not taste awful, but at least have a pleasant taste or a neutral taste.

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We don’t flush before the feed as it adds to the volume, and we only flush 20 mls after to clear the tube.  Again it increases the volume of the feed which can overload the stomach.  

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Until your child is on a full blended diet with all the vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy growth, give a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, appropriate for their age and weight.  Simple ABIDEC is easy to obtain and in a liquid form.  Additional supplements can still be given after full BD provided safe limits are kept.  We give extra vitamin C as blending or storing may destroy this fragile vitamin.