Soft Food Diet

If you are wondering what is a soft food diet, it is defined as a diet that contains foods which are soft and easy to chew and swallow. You can make these food recipes soft by chopping, grinding, mashing and pureeing them. When people have certain digestion problems due to surgery such as head, neck or stomach, they are specially put on a soft food diet. This diet is also given to people who may have problems with their mouth or teeth. This diet is temporary, and to be followed only till your conditions get better. Thus, find out more about this essential soft food diet after tooth extractions and other mouth and stomach problems.

Soft Food Diet

As there are decided foods which are included in a soft food diet, you don't have to do much thinking about what is healthy and what is not. The only factor that counts in this diet is that there should be some mode of ingestion as well as digestion, other than chewing. Your digestive system is already sensitive during the time of surgery or dental problems and thus, you need to get all the nutrients in the right amount so you don't fall weak. The soft food diet after dental surgery could be the same depending on the foods your dentist suggests for you. Take a look at the following soft food diet plan mentioned for your convenience.

Soft Food Diet Plan

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs
• Porridge or other cereals (without nuts or dried fruit) and milk
• Stewed fruit with natural yogurt
• Baked beans
• Coffee or hot chocolate made with milk
• Fruit juice

Main meals

• Stews made with lean meats, which are cooked until tender
• Soups made with lots of veggies and legumes, pureed with a swirl of cream before serving
• Moussaka or lasagna served with extra sauce or gravy
• Shepherd or cottage pie with gravy
• Cheese omelet or cauliflower cheese
• Fish pie with potato topping, or baked fish with sauce or gravy
• Pasta dishes made with small pasta shapes (or noodles) and plenty of sauce
• Dips such as hummus, guacamole, and cream cheese
• Egg or tuna mayonnaise
• Mashed vegetables - carrots, turnip or other root vegetables
• Broccoli or cauliflower florets cooked until soft - these could also be mashed into potatoes
• Mashed potato - sweet potatoes are slightly more nutritious

Desserts

• Cream caramel or egg custard
• Milky puddings - rice, semolina or tapioca
• Fruit mousse
• Natural or Greek yogurt
• Bread and butter pudding
• Milk jelly or blancmange
• Pureed or stewed fruit with Greek yogurt
• Homemade trifle
• Ice cream or fruit sorbet
• Mashed fruit with ice cream, custard or evaporated milk

There are certain healthy foods which you should avoid eating while you are following this soft food diet plan. The only reason being, that they might hurt while consumption and irritate the internal wounds which the body is trying to heal with the soft food diet.

• Crusty breads such as sourdough
• Chewy breads, especially those with whole seeds or grains and raisins
• Bagels
• Chips and crisps
• Corn and peas
• Raw vegetables and cooked vegetables that can't be easily mashed
• Popcorn
• English muffins
• Fruits with seeds
• Hard cereals
• Fruit skin
• Dried fruits
• Meats that take some chewing, like chicken breasts and steak
• Raw apples
• Tough meats or stringy meats

With these foods which should be eaten and some which should be avoided, you must have got the idea of how to go about with the soft food diet. It is a very useful diet, but you should follow it only if your doctor has asked you to.