Soft Diet

Soft diet recipes

Soft food diets are also recommended for old people because as one grows old it becomes more difficult to eat whole, hard food. There are many soft diet recipes that one can give elderly people. Once such recipe is rice pudding, details of which are given below:-

Ingredients:
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup well cooked rice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar

Add the egg, cornstarch and beaten sugar to a saucepan blend until smooth. Gradually add in the milk, stirring all the while and then add in rice. Mix this well. Cook this mixture over a medium heat, stirring constantly, till it comes to a boil. Remove from heat then and add the vanilla. Let it cool and then sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top before serving.

Mechanical soft diet recipes are those recipes that involve using a blender or a knife to make the foods soft and easier to swallow.

Soft diet food list

The mechanical soft diet is usually recommended for patients who are recovering from mouth, neck or head surgery, those who are too ill or weak to chew, those who have dysphagia or those who have a narrowing of the esophagus. A mechanical soft diet food list comprises of the foods given below:

• Puddings
• Canned milk shakes
• Fruits like banana
• Cooked cereals
• Noodles
• Pancakes
• Dairy products such as cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream and milk
• Soft scrambled eggs
• Ground meat or pureed meat
• Fruit sauce
• Pureed vegetables

Soft diet after oral surgery:

A soft diet is often recommended after oral surgery as this kind of diet involves soft foods and liquids which are easy to swallow. Such a diet does not cause any strain on the wound and healing takes place even more quickly. A soft diet after oral surgery should include foods that are soft in texture and can be swallowed with minimal force being applied to the teeth or jaws. Soft foods do not damage the stitches either. Here are some options for foods after oral surgery.

• Mashed bananas
• Apple sauce
• Mashed potato
• Mashed pumpkin
• Creamed peas
• Broiled or stewed chicken
• Scrambled eggs
• Butter
• Tofu

Soft diet after surgery:

A soft diet after surgery is recommended as this eliminates certain foods which are difficult to digest and chew. Patients who have undergone neck or head surgery, intestinal surgery or even those who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation benefit from a soft diet. Foods that should be avoided on this soft diet include gas forming foods such as cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts and so on. Spicy or acidic foods like chili powder, garlic, soy sauce, barbecue seasoning, and orange juice are not advisable either. Fried greasy foods should be avoided especially fried chicken, French fries and so on. Soft fish or stewed meats are better options in this case. Soft cooked fruits and vegetables are good too.

Soft diet foods:

Foods that are easy to chew and swallow are included in the soft diet food list. Such foods should not be high in fiber content and also not gas inducing. Keep in mind that this soft food diet list will vary depending on the reason for the soft food diet. A person who has just had oral surgery will have certain foods in his diet than a person who has had a gastric bypass. Some basic guidelines to keep in mind are:--

Fruits: All fruits that contain seeds and skin should be avoided. Pureed berries, bananas and applesauce are acceptable.
Vegetables: Raw vegetables are taboo as are gas forming ones as mentioned above.
Grains: include cooked cereals
Breads: - soft breads without crusts.
Meat: should be stewed, broiled or ground

Soft diet menu:

Soft foods are those foods which are easy to chew and swallow. However, this does not mean that you have to compromise on flavor while on this diet. One example of a soft diet menu plan is:-

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs
Smoothie

Lunch:
Spinach and cheese quiche or a soup and salad combination.

Dinner
Vegetable soup with peas, carrots and broccoli.
Baked scallops in butter
Gravy mashed potatoes

Dessert
Mousse, ice cream or custards.

Soft diet for diverticulitis:

Diverticula refers to bulging pouches in the lining of the digestive tract. It is a common condition and many people have this in the large intestine. This condition is most common in people over 60 when the colon and the intestines weaken. Symptoms include fever, stomach pain, constipation, bleeding, vomiting and bloating. Treatment for diverticulitis includes treatment and a soft food diet which then progresses to a fiber rich diet later on. This kind of soft diet for diverticulitis includes eating foods that are first chopped, ground, blended, mashed or pureed. Such foods should always be moist and easy to chew and swallow.

Soft diet list:

A mechanical soft diet is one that involves hard food that has been put through a food processor or chopped or ground to make it soft and easy to diet. A mechanical soft diet food list would consist of the following foods:-

Soft breads
Cooked cereals
Custards and puddings
Canned fruit and fruit juices
Ground meat
Cooked vegetables
Noodles
Soft cheeses like cottage and ricotta
Cooked dry beans and peas
Scrambled eggs
Ready to eat cereals that have been softened in milk

Foods that should be avoided are hard and thick breads, tough meats, dried fruit, raw fruit and vegetables, fruits with skin or seeds and foods that have nuts or seeds.