Soft diet

A soft diet is recommended in many situations, including some types of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), surgery involving the jaw, mouth or gastrointestinal tract, and pain from newly adjusted dental braces.

A soft diet can include many foods if they are mashed or pureed, covered or placed with in sauces or gravy, or placed in soups, stews, chili, curries.

In some situations, there are additional restrictions. For example, patients who need to avoid excessive reflux, such as those recovering from esophageal surgery for achalasia, are also instructed to stay away from foods that can aggravate reflux, which include ketchup and other tomato products, citrus fruits, chocolate, mint, spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine.

Many of the foods listed here can be adapted for a "full liquid" diet (not a "clear liquid" diet) by processing in a blender with an appropriate thinning liquid, such as a vegetable or meat broth, fruit or vegetable juice, or milk.

Grains/starches

*Cooked Hot cereals: oatmeal, porridge, Weetabix/Farina/Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice.
*Breakfast Cereal (Cheerios, Cornflakes, Corn_Pops, Corn Chex, Rice Krispies), softened/soggy in milk.
*Macaroni & Cheese (cooked soft, pureed in blender if needed.)
*Mashed potatoes and gravy
*Mashed sweet potatoes
*Pasta cooked soft
*Rice and gravy (cooked soft)
*Risotto
*Couscous
*Quinoa
*baked potatoes (skinless) with sour cream or cream cheese
*Lasagna, chopped up with extra sauce over top.
*Asian fried rice or noodles with tiny bits of meat and soft veggies.
*Potato Salad, smooshed.
*muffin, pancake, or waffle. (if needed soften with syrup/butter and reheat.)

Protein

*Refried Beans with melted cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa, Guacamole or add some Chili.
*Baked beans, well-cooked and slightly mashed.
*Cottage cheese
*Canned tuna or canned chicken, water-packed (pureed in blender).
*Chicken salad or Tuna Salad
*Eggs, scrambled.
*Fish cooked soft
*Meatloaf, meatballs, cottage pie, and other soft dishes with ground meat
*Sloppy Joes
*Enchilada Pie
*Tofu
*Yogurt

Fruits and vegetables

*Fruit Juice
*Vegetable juice (tomato juice)
*Soup, many kinds.

*Applesauce
*Avocados
*Bananas (mash if needed)
*Grapefruit sections
*Orange sections
*melons: Watermelon, Cantelope, Honeydew; cut into soft cubes.
*Peeled Pears or Peaches, ripe or canned

*vegetables cooked soft, mashed, or pureed in the blender
*Spinach, creamed.
*creamed Corn.

Desserts

*Fruit smoothies
*Milkshakes
*Custard
*Pudding
*Mousse
*Jell-O (gelatin)
*Ice cream, Sherbet, Frozen Yogurt, Popsicles, Italian Ice
*Pie: Pumpkin, Key Lime.
*Whipped cream or Whipped Topping
*Chocolate, small pieces which melt in mouth (Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Kiss).
*Soft cakes, (may also soften further by covering with condensed milk).
*Cheesecake that has been microwaved for 30 seconds to one minute (it will become a bit mushy)
*Cream pies

Tips to increase calories

*If you cannot face large meals, try to have 3-4 smaller meals daily with nourishing drinks or enriched soups in between.
*Use cream or whole milk.
*Add 4 tablespoons of powdered milk to 1 pint of whole milk.
*Drinking Milk, add Ovaltine, Chocolate, Protein Powder or Powdered Milk.
*Add grated cheese, butter, margarine, olive oil or mayonnaise to vegetables, potatoes or scrambled eggs.
*Choose full fat or whole milk varieties of yogurt such as thick and creamy or Greek style.
*Add cream to puddings, drinks or soup.
*Add sugar, honey, syrup and seedless jam to cereals, drinks or puddings.
*Add sauce topping and/or Whipped cream to Ice cream.
*Soft canned fruit e.g. peaches, pears, mandarins served with evaporated milk or custard.
*Add one tablespoon of olive oil, powdered milk, protein powder, or pasteurized egg whites to milkshakes or fruit smoothies.

Avoid

*hard-to-chew chunks
*Raw Vegetables
*Fruit with skin or seeds (Raspberries or Blackberries)
*Dried fruit
*Coconut
*Pineapple
*Seeds and Nuts
*Popcorn
*Potato chips
*Hard pretzels

See also

* [http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/dysph.asp NIDCD information on dysphagia]
* [http://dysphagiaonline.com Dysphagia Online]
* [http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/faqs/leafletdetail.php?LeafletID=53 British Dental Health Foundation]