Doctors often recommend a Soft Food Diet to patients recovering from a long term illnes. A Soft Food Diet includes food with low-fibre and foods that are either refined and processed instead of fresh foods which tend to be high in fibre. One of the objectives of this diet is to rest not only your digestive system but also the entire body, hence it has been designed to serve both these purposes.
Foods which have low fibre content must be ingested including:
Canned fishes
Poultry items like eggs
Fruits and vegetable soups and juices
White rice Egg noodles
Bananas
White bread
Cottage cheese, etc
The main aim of the diet is to reduce the amount of fibre foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, red meats as well as carbonated drink. If followed strictly this diet does help your body recover and resume your regular diet. Usually recommended to patients recovering from a long-term illness, One of the goals of this diet is to rest not only your digestive system but also the entire body, hence it has been designed to serve both these purposes.
The following are the guidelines to be followed if one wishes to follow the soft food diet successfully:
Another rule to be followed when on this diet is to drink plenty of water. Doing so not only hydrates your body but also helps avoid constipation.
The recommended amount of water to be ingested is 8 ounces, 2 litres or half a gallon. As the main aim of the diet is to reduce the number of fibre foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, red meats as well as carbonated drinks should be avoided. If followed strictly this diet does help your body recover and resume your regular diet.
Weekly Diet Chart for Soft food diet
Sunday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Carrot Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Grapes (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Monday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Beetroot n Peas Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Papaya (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Tuesday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Masoor Daal Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Yoghurt (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Wednesday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Carrot Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Tender Coconut Water (1 glass)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Thursday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Beetroot n Peas Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Grapes (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Friday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Masoor Daal Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Papaya (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Saturday
Breakfast (8:00-8:30AM): Veg Soup (1 cup)
Mid-Meal (11:00-11:30AM): Yoghurt (1/2 cup)
Lunch (2:00-2:30PM): Mashed Khichdi (1/2 cup)
Evening (4:00-4:30PM): Custard (1/2 cup)
Dinner (8:00-8:30PM): Boiled Vegetable Puree (1/2 cup)
Food Stuff To Limit:
Dry or tough meats: Hot dogs, Bacon, Sausage links, Beef tips, Peanut butter, Cubed cheese, cheese slices, Non-pureed fried, scrambled, or hard-cooked eggs, Nuts, Seeds.
Starches, Breads & Cereals: Bread or bread products, Bagels, dinner rolls, Pizza, Rice, Granola, Cold cereal, Crispy, fried food, Popcorn, Crackers & Chips.
Fruits: Raw, whole fruits, Dried fruits, Pineapple, oranges, or other stringy, high pulp fruit.
Vegetables: Raw, whole vegetables, Salads
Soups:
Soups with chunks of meat or vegetables
Deserts : Hard cookies, Hard candy, Chewing gum, Chewy candy or desserts
Olives, Pickles
Diet / feeding advice:
Consume a wide variety of foods to ensure your body gets essential nutrients.
Eat small, frequent meals.
Chew small bits- large bits may be difficult to swallow.
Eat both hot and cold foods to provide a variety of temperatures in the diet.
Sit in An upright, Erect Position: In a way that he/she is upright in an erect position. If unable to position themselves, you can prop them up with a few pillows.
Tilt your head forward with yourchin in a slightly forward position. It helps open the passage down to the oesophagus, unlike the head tilted back position which makes swallowing more difficult.
Place food in the Stronger Side of the Mouth: If the patient has a facial weakness, be sure to place food onto the stronger side of the mouth. This is especially important as it will not only allow for maximum feeding, but also improve safety during feeding.
Add more Support to the Impaired Side of the Body: If one side of the patient's body is weaker than the other, be sure to support the weaker side during feeding. This will make it much easier for the force of gravity to bring food bolus downward and pass through the impaired side with great ease.
Position Yourself at or Below your Patient's Eye Level: Sitting at or slightly below the patient's eye level will make it easier for him/her for keep and maintain their head in the best feeding position and also allow them to feed much more comfortably.
Food Items Safe To Have:
Thinned cooked cereals
Pureed meats, fish, and poultry
Pureed scrambled eggs and cheese
Baby cereals
Pureed ham, tuna, and chicken salad
Pureed vegetables(avoid peas and corn)
Mashed potatoes
Pureed candled sweet potatoes
Decaffeinated Coffee/Tea
Ice cream
Pureed fruits
Thick milkshakes
Plain yoghurt
Cream