Fruits for soft diet are packed with a lot of nutrients, but if you have sensitive teeth, you might have trouble eating them. The following article will lead you to more information about the soft fruits diet as well as food for a soft Diet.
Firstly, what is a soft diet? soft diet refers to food that is easily digested. Soft diet can be an option for those who are suffering from stomach disorders and also post-surgery patients. Here is a list of health benefits of fruits in a soft diet.
What is a soft diet?
A soft diet is made up of foods that are soft and easy to chew and swallow. These foods may be chopped, ground, mashed, pureed, and moist. You may need to follow this diet if you have had certain types of surgery, such as head, neck, or stomach surgery. You may also need to follow this diet if you have problems with your teeth or mouth that make it hard for you to chew or swallow food. Your dietitian will tell you how to follow this diet and what consistency of liquids you may have.
How do I prepare soft food?
- Cut food into small pieces that are ½ inch or smaller in size because they are easier to swallow.
- Use chicken broth, beef broth, gravy, or sauces to cook or moisten meats and vegetables. Cook vegetables until they are soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
- Use a food processor to grind or puree foods to make them easier to chew and swallow.
- Use fruit juice to blend fruit.
- Strain soups that have pieces of meat or vegetables that are larger than ½ inch.
Which foods should I include?
- Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta:
- Breads, muffins, pancakes, or waffles moistened with syrup, jelly, margarine or butter
- Moist dry or cooked cereal
- Macaroni, pasta, noodles, or rice
- Saltine crackers moistened in soup or other liquid
- Fruits and vegetables:
- Applesauce or canned fruit without seeds or skin
- Cooked fruits or ripe, soft peeled fruits, such as bananas, peaches, or melon
- Soft, well-cooked vegetables without seeds or skin
- Meat and other protein sources:
- Poached, scrambled, or cooked eggs
- Moist, tender meat, fish, or poultry that is ground or chopped into small pieces
- Soups with small soft pieces of vegetables and meat
- Tofu or well-cooked, slightly mashed, moist legumes, such as baked beans
- Dairy:
- Cheese (in sauces or melted in other dishes), cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese
- Milk or milk drinks, milkshakes
- Ice cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt without fruit or nuts
- Yogurt (plain or with soft fruits)
- Desserts:
- Gelatin dessert with soft canned fruit, pudding, or custard
- Fruit cobbler with soft breading or crumb mixture (no seeds or nuts), or fruit pie with soft bottom crust only
- Soft, moist cake or cookie that has been moistened in milk, coffee, or other liquid
Other Tips for a Soft Food Diet
If your doctor puts you on a soft food diet, ask them to help you make sure that you’re getting enough nutrition. Every day, you need to be eating:
- 2 servings of protein
- 2 servings of dairy
- 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
Aim to drink 8-10 glasses of water or liquid, too.
At mealtime, sit as upright as you can during the meal and for the half-hour afterward. Don’t rush through your meal. Take the time to enjoy it without distractions.
What are the soft food and mechanical soft food diets?
The soft food diet is one that includes foods that are easy to chew and swallow and excludes foods with a hard texture. With careful planning, it is still possible to eat a tasty, balanced diet from a variety of soft foods.
The mechanical soft food diet is another name for the diet, and refers to using equipment, such as blenders or food processors, to make food into a smooth puree.
In this article, we take a look at the foods to include and those to avoid when following a soft food diet.
Food for a Soft Diet
Medical professionals often prescribe special diets to help people recover from certain medical procedures or bouts of illness.
Soft diets are commonly used in the clinical setting and include foods that are soft and easy to digest.
If you are prescribed a soft diet, you may wonder what foods you should eat and avoid and why you were put on this diet in the first place.
This article explains everything you need to know about soft food diets.
why is it prescribed?
Soft food diets consist of soft, easily digestible foods and are prescribed to people who can’t tolerate normally textured or highly seasoned foods.
Healthcare providers commonly prescribed these diets to people with certain medical conditions or who are recovering from surgery.
Soft food diets are used in many settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and in the home. They’re typically followed for short periods of a few days to a few weeks, though some circumstances may require the diet to be followed for a longer period.
Soft diets are often used to treat swallowing disorders, collectively known as dysphagia. Dysphagia is common in older adults and those with neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases
In 2002 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published the National Dysphagia Diet (NDD), which includes several levels of dysphagia diets:
- NDD Level 1 — Dysphagia-Puréed: uniform texture, pudding-like, requiring very little chewing ability
- NDD Level 2 — Dysphagia-Mechanically Altered: cohesive, moist, semisolid foods, requiring some chewing
- NDD Level 3 — Dysphagia-Advanced: soft foods that require more chewing ability
- Regular: all foods allowed
Although the point of texture-modified diets is to reduce the risk of aspiration and pneumonia in people with dysphagia, current research suggests that modifying food texture may result in a worsened quality of life and undernutrition, highlighting the need for more research
In addition to dysphagia, soft diets are prescribed to people who have recently undergone mouth or jaw surgery that has affected their ability to chew.
For example, people who have undergone wisdom teeth removal, major jaw surgery, or dental implant surgery may need to follow a soft diet to promote healing
Soft diets are also used as transitional diets between full liquid or puréed diets and regular diets in people who have undergone abdominal surgery or are recovering from gastrointestinal illness to allow the digestive system to heal more effectively
Additionally, soft diets can be prescribed to people who are too weak to consume regular foods, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, as well as to people who have lost feeling in their face or mouth or can’t control their lips or tongue due to a stroke
Although soft food diets used in both the clinical and home setting can vary, most that are used in the short term are low in fiber and bland to ease digestibility and the comfort of the person eating the diet .
Keep in mind that some people have to be on soft food diets for longer periods. In these cases, the diet may be higher in fiber and more flavorful than soft diets used in the short term.
SUMMARY
Soft diets consist of foods that are easily chewed and digested. They’re often prescribed to people with swallowing difficulties, those who have undergone abdominal surgery, and people with other medical issues.
Foods to eat on a soft food diet
Soft diets are used when regular-textured or highly seasoned foods can’t be tolerated, which can happen for a number of reasons.
Soft diets should not be confused with puréed diets. Although puréed foods are allowed on soft food diets, puréed diets are entirely different.
Overall, soft diets should consist of foods that are soft, as well as easy to eat and digest.
Here are some examples of foods that can be enjoyed on most soft diets
- Vegetables: soft cooked carrots, green beans, chopped cooked spinach, cooked zucchini without seeds, well-cooked broccoli florets, etc.
- Fruits: cooked, peeled apples or applesauce, bananas, avocado, peeled ripe peaches, cooked pears, puréed fruits, etc.
- Eggs: cooked whole eggs or egg whites, egg salad
- Dairy products: cottage cheese, yogurt, soft cheeses, pudding, frozen yogurt, etc. Lower fat dairy products are typically recommended for people recovering from gastrointestinal surgery or illness.
- Grains and starches: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cooked cereals like cream of wheat, soft, moistened grains such as farro or barley, moistened pancakes, soft noodles, etc.
- Meat, poultry, and fish: finely chopped or ground moistened poultry, soft tuna or chicken salad (without chopped raw vegetables or fruit like celery or apples), baked or broiled fish, soft meatballs, soft tofu, etc.
- Soups: puréed or broth-based soups with soft-cooked vegetables
- Miscellaneous: gravies, sauces, smooth nut butters, unseeded jellies and jams
- Drinks: water, tea, protein shakes, and smoothies
Keep in mind that there are different variations of soft food diets, depending on the condition they’re being used to treat. Some people with further restrictions may not be able to tolerate certain foods for various reasons.
Therefore, it’s always best to consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you’re following a soft diet and have questions about what foods you’re permitted to eat.
SUMMARY
Cooked fruits and vegetables, easily chewable proteins, and soft starches can be enjoyed when following a soft food diet.
Foods to avoid on a soft food diet
Many foods should be avoided when following a soft food diet. Hard to digest foods, as well as those that are tough to chew, should be restricted. Typically, spicy and very acidic foods are also off-limits.
The following foods are commonly restricted on soft diets
- Vegetables: raw vegetables, deep-fried vegetables, vegetables with seeds or rinds
- Fruits: fresh fruits (with some exceptions like avocados and bananas), fruits with peels and seeds, dried fruits, highly acidic fruits like lemons and limes
- Dairy products: hard cheeses, cheeses with nuts or dried fruit in them, yogurt with added ingredients, such as chocolate or nuts
- Grains and starches: hard crackers, chewy or crusty breads, high fiber breads and grains, such as seeded breads and shredded wheat, French fries, popcorn
- Meat, poultry, and fish: tough cuts of meat, fried fish or poultry, whole cuts of meat or poultry, high fat processed meats, such as bacon, shellfish, soups or stews with tough chunks of meat
- Fats: nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, crunchy nut butters
- Miscellaneous: seeded jams or jellies, chewy candies
- Spicy or irritating foods: hot peppers, tomato sauce, gas-promoting foods, such as cabbage and beans, tabasco sauce
- Beverages: alcohol, caffeinated beverages may be restricted as well depending on the condition being treated
Fruits For Soft Diet
A soft food diet, also called a bland diet, is made up of foods that are easy to digest. They’re usually soft in texture and low in fiber. The idea is to eat foods that are easy to swallow and that you don’t need to chew much. You’ll need to avoid spicy, fried, or gassy foods.
Who Should Eat a Soft Food Diet?
Your doctor will let you know if you need to eat this way. It can be helpful in situations like these:
After surgery. It’s common to follow a soft food diet while you recover from certain operations. Your doctor might recommend it if you’ve recently had surgery on your:
- Mouth
- Tooth
- Head
- Neck
- Stomach
They might also tell you to follow the diet if you’re getting radiation therapy to your head, neck, or stomach.
Issues with digestion. A soft diet helps some people who have digestive problems. The foods in the diet are easy to digest, so your digestive tract won’t have to work as hard to break them down. This type of eating plan also features mild foods that are less likely to irritate your gut.
Trouble chewing. The diet can help if you have an ongoing health condition that makes chewing or swallowing difficult.
Types of Soft Food Diets
There are two main types:
Mechanical soft diet. This includes foods that you don’t need to chew as much. You’ll eat things with different textures and thicknesses that are chopped, ground, mashed, or puréed. These foods are soft and tender, and you should be able to mash them with a fork.
Puréed soft diet. This is a bit more limited than a mechanical soft diet. You’ll only eat foods that you don’t need to chew at all. As the name implies, you can eat meals that include puréed foods or liquid foods. Liquids can be added to make swallowing easier.
Foods to Eat on the Soft Food Diet
It’s still important to eat a balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods.
Here are some examples of nutritious foods that you can make into delicious soft diet meals.
Fruits and veggies. Along with to easy-to-make smoothies and purées, you can try:
- Applesauce
- Canned fruit
- Steamed or soft-cooked vegetables
- Soft, skinless fruits, like bananas, stone fruits, and melons
- Baked fruits
- Salad greens
Grains. These give you carbs, a good source of energy. Choose grains that are low in fiber so that they’re easy to digest, like:
- Bread
- Soft cereals
- Hot cereals, like cream of wheat or oatmeal
- Pasta and noodles
- White rice
- Pancakes and waffles
Protein. This helps your body build muscle, and it can help you heal after surgery. While on the soft food diet, try to eat meals that include:
- Soft, tender meat, poultry, and fish
- Poached, scrambled, or boiled eggs
- Tofu
- Smooth peanut butter
- Baked beans
Dairy. Choose dairy products that are high in protein, like:
- Greek or regular yogurt
- Thinly sliced cheese
- Cottage cheese or ricotta
- Milk
Foods to Avoid on the Soft Food Diet
Skip foods that are hard to chew or digest, like:
- Nuts and seeds
- Snack foods like chips, popcorn, and chocolate
- Tough proteins, like tough meat, jerky, bacon, sausage, chunky peanut butter
- Whole grains that are high in fiber
- Hard or stringy fruits, or fruits with skin
- Hard, raw veggies
When should someone follow this diet?
There are many situations where people are advised to follow a soft food diet:
Following surgery
Doctors may recommend that people who have had surgery to the mouth, head, neck, or stomach follow a soft food diet for a period following surgery.
Examples of surgery that may require a person to eat a soft food diet afterward include gastrectomy, where a surgeon removes all or part of the stomach, and bariatric surgery, which is an operation to reduce someone’s weight.
Cancer treatment
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can make the digestive tract sore and inflamed, a condition known as mucositis. If someone is experiencing mucositis, they might benefit from a soft food diet.
Difficulty swallowing
The soft food diet may be appropriate for people who find it difficult to chew or swallow. This condition is called dysphagia.
For people with significant dysphagia, who are unable to eat tough foods safely, a doctor or dietitian might prescribe a texture-modified dietTrusted Source. In this diet, users alter the texture of foods to reduce the need to chew. They may achieve this by mashing and pureeing foods.
A texture-modified diet is similar to the soft food diet, and a doctor or dietitian may recommend it to people who may be at risk of getting food stuck in the throat or windpipe.
Doctors will assess people with dysphagia and will make appropriate dietary recommendations depending on individual needs.
The range of foods and textures offered depends on the severity of the dysphagia. Individuals should discuss options with a doctor or other professional, such as a speech and language therapist who specializes in helping people who have difficulty swallowing.
Dental problems
A soft food diet may be appropriate following dental implant or tooth extraction, such as wisdom tooth removal.
Following a procedure, it is essential to follow dietary recommendations from the dentist to avoid infections and other dental problems.
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth. They can become loose or ill-fitting over time, which makes it difficult to bite and chew properly. Hard or sharp foods can dislodge the dentures, causing them to become unstable in the mouth.
The soft food diet might be more suitable for adults with dentures as it prevents food getting stuck and causing any damage.
Foods to eat
The soft food diet does not have to be restrictive. It is crucial to continue to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods, especially if recovering from surgery.
People following a soft food diet should try to eat regular meals including a variety of foods from the main food groups:
Carbohydrates to provide energy and fiber
- porridge oats
- whole grain biscuits with lots of milk
- mashed potatoes
- white or brown bread
- boiled pasta or rice with sauce
Protein-rich foods for growth and repair
- minced meats cooked in stews or casseroles
- fish without bones that are poached, steamed, or boiled
- tinned fish, such as tuna or salmon without bones
- eggs that are scrambled, poached, boiled, and fried
- beans, lentils, and pulses, including baked beans
- hummus
- tofu
Dairy and alternatives that contain calcium
- milk and milkshakes
- yogurt
- crème fraiche
- cheese sauce
- cottage cheese
Fruit and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and fiber
- peeled, cooked, and mashed vegetables, such as carrots, butternut squash, and parsnips
- ripe, soft fruits, such as bananas, pears, and berries
- stewed fruit or compote
- fruit juice and smoothies
- avocado
- tinned fruit in juice, mashed if necessary
People should be sure to remove the skins from all vegetable and fruit before eating.
Sauces
Followers of the soft food diet can use sauces to help soften foods. Options include:
- gravy
- cheese sauce
- parsley sauce
- white sauce
- stock
Desserts
- custard
- milk puddings, such as rice pudding
- mousse
- ice cream or sorbet
Health Benefits of Fruits
1. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals.
You won’t find a better nutritional source than fruits and veggies, which are packed with vitamins A, C and E, as well as magnesium, zinc, phosphorous and folic acid. For potassium, one of the most important minerals for your health, eat plenty of avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, prunes and even tomato paste puree.
2. You get to enjoy a variety of flavors and textures.
With all their unique and interesting flavors, plant-based foods let you get creative in the kitchen. You can try strong flavors like onions, olives and peppers, or milder options such as mushrooms and corn. For sweet flavors, fruits like pineapple, grapes or plums are great, while lemons and grapefruits are more sour.
3. Lots and lots of fiber.
Most fruits and vegetables have plenty of fiber to fill you up and boost gut health, but some have more than others. Fiber-rich vegetables include artichokes, green peas, broccoli and cauliflower. High-fiber fruits include raspberries, pears, apples and pumpkin.
4. They’re low-calorie and low-fat.
On average, fruits and especially vegetables are very low in calories and fat, which means you can eat more to keep you feeling full without worrying about extra calories or fat. You can save more than 200 calories by eating half a cup of grapes versus a fourth of a cup of M&Ms. That said, there are exceptions, such as avocados, olives and coconuts.
5. Protect against cancer and other diseases.
Many vegetables and fruits contain phytochemicals, which are biologically active substances that can help protect against some diseases. That means you can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer by adding them into your diet. Specifically cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage, collards and watercress, have been linked to reducing cancer risks.