Soft Food Diet - Soft Diet Ideas For After Surgery

What you need to know?

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 will need to follow this diet after you have certain dental procedures or oral surgery.

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.

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What foods can I have?

Grain Products:

• Oatmeal or porridge
• 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 or melon
• Soft, well-cooked vegetables without seeds or skin

Meat and other protein sources:

• Cooked eggs
• Fish, meat or poultry that is ground
• 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, smoothies
• lee cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt without fruit or nuts
• Yogurt (plain or with soft fruits)

Desserts:

• Jello, pudding, or custard
• Soft, moist cake or cookie that has been moistened in milk, coffee, or other liquid

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What foods CAN'T I have?

Starches:

• All bread, toast, crackers, or cereal
• Cake and breads with dried fruit, nuts, and other seeds
• Breads with tough crusts, such as bagels, French bread, and sourdough bread
• Popcorn, chips and nachos

Vegetables:

• Corn and peas
• Raw, hard vegetables that cannot be mashed easily, such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and celery
• Crisp fried vegetables, such as potatoes

Fruits:

• Raw, crisp fruits, such as apples and pears and dried fruit
• Berries and fruits with seeds
• Stringy fruits, such as pineapple and mango
• Cooked fruit with skin and seeds

Dairy, meats, and protein foods:

• Yogurt or ice cream with coconut, nuts, and granola
• Dry meats (beef jerky) and tough meats (such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and bratwurst, grilled meats)
• Casseroles with large chunks of meat
• Peanut butter (unless mixed into milkshake or smoothie)

Other

• Gum
• Spicy food
• Very hot food/ drinks and alcohol
• Nuts/seeds
• Any food that requires significant chewing
• NO straws

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Morning Mocha Protein Shake

• 1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder (6 tablespoons)
• ¼ Cup Almond Milk
• ½ Cup Ice Cubes
• 1 Shot espresso OR 1 teaspoon espresso powder mixed into ¼ cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon Unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 tablespoon Ground flaxseed

• Place all ingredients in a blender onhigh speed
• Blend until smooth
• Enjoy!
• *No straws