Soft Diet and Mechanical Soft Diet

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KEY POINTS

• A soft diet is a diet that limits or avoids foods that are hard to chew and swallow. A mechanical soft diet means that you eat foods that have been blended, pureed, ground, or finely chopped to make them easier to chew and swallow.
• Both soft and mechanical soft diets that include foods from all food groups are healthy diets. However, if you have a poor appetite, or just can’t eat enough food, you may not get all the nutrients you need.
• Ask your dietitian or healthcare provider for help.

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What is a soft diet?

A soft diet is a diet that limits or avoids foods that are hard to chew and swallow.

Your healthcare provider may tell you to eat a soft diet if:

• You have been on a liquids-only diet after surgery or a long illness. It is a way to slowly add solid foods back to your diet.
• You are very weak or have problems with your mouth, teeth or with swallowing. Soft, moist textures are easier to chew and swallow.
• You are having chemotherapy or radiation treatment of the head, neck, or stomach area. These treatments can cause nausea and vomiting, and pain in your mouth and throat.

What foods should I eat?

• Eat cooked or canned or fresh fruits and vegetables that are soft and don’t need hard chewing. Ask your healthcare provider if seeds are OK for you to eat.
• Eat enriched pasta, white rice, and white flour products, instead of whole-grain products.
• Eat tender poultry and fish, lean ground beef, and eggs.
• Have sherbet, fruit ices, custards, and very moist cakes or cookies as desserts.
• Cook all foods until they are very soft, or mash them.
• Add liquids, such as broth, gravy, or milk to drier foods.
• Use moist cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, slow cookers, and making soups.

Eating small meals more often through the day helps to relieve gas and bloating. Ask your provider when you can add other foods back into your diet. Often you can add foods if they do not cause discomfort.

Which foods should I avoid?

Examples of foods that are harder to swallow and chew are:

• Chewy foods, like hard breads and tough meats
• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Dry, sticky foods such as dried fruit
• Nuts and seeds (for some people)
• Chips and crackers

If you need to rest your stomach and bowel or have a sore mouth, you may also need to avoid or limit these foods:

• Greasy foods, such as fried foods or foods prepared with a lot of fat
• Spicy foods
• Foods that cause gas, such as Brussels sprouts, beans, broccoli, and cauliflower
• High-fiber foods such as whole grains and cereals
• Dairy products if you have trouble digesting milk and milk products

What is a mechanical soft diet?

A mechanical soft diet means that you eat foods that have been blended, pureed, ground, or finely chopped. This makes foods easier to chew and swallow. This diet can help if:

• You have no teeth or dentures that don’t fit well.
• You have a problem with your throat or esophagus that keeps you from being able to move food or fluids from your mouth to your stomach. The esophagus is the tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach.
• You are recovering from mouth or neck surgery.

Here are ways to prepare some foods:

• Cook meats, fish, or poultry and then grind or puree them with sauce to moisten.
• Blend, mash, or puree fruits and vegetables. Pureed vegetable soups work well.
• Grind nuts into tiny pieces and add to yogurts or cereals if your provider says that nuts are safe for you.

You can usually have milk products such as yogurt and cottage cheese without any special preparation.

Are soft diets healthy?

Both soft and mechanical soft diets that include foods from all food groups are healthy diets. However, if you have a poor appetite, or just can’t eat enough food, you may need liquid supplements or meal replacement shakes. You may also need to take vitamins and minerals.

Check with a dietitian or your healthcare provider to make sure you are getting the nutrients you need.