Smaller Larger

Soft Diet by Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RD

What Is a Soft Diet?

A soft diet generally eliminates foods that are difficult to chew or swallow, and also spicy, fried, or gassy foods. A mechanical soft diet simply eliminates foods that are difficult to chew or swallow.

Why Should I Follow a Soft Diet?

A soft diet is often prescribed as a transitional diet following certain types of surgery or illnesses. It may also be recommended for people who are undergoing radiation therapy to the head, neck, or abdominal area. A mechanical soft diet may be prescribed if you are having trouble with chewing food, for instance due to a lack of teeth, or if you have difficulty swallowing.

Soft Diet Basics

Foods permitted on a soft diet may be naturally soft, or if not, they may be mashed, chopped, or cooked to achieve a soft consistency. Foods that are generally eliminated include:

Tough meats
Raw fruits and vegetables
Chewy or crispy breads
Nuts and seeds

Depending on why you need a soft diet, your doctor may also recommend that you avoid spicy, fried, or gassy foods.

The foods that are tolerable on this diet can vary greatly from one person to the next. Work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to determine the types and textures of foods that you can tolerate. Use the below chart as a guide and then customize it to your needs.

Eating Guide for a Soft Diet

Food Group	Foods Recommended	Foods to Avoid
Grains	Cereal (without nuts or dried fruit) Refined bread, crackers, muffins, pancakes, or waffles Pasta Plain, white rice	Whole grain bread, crackers, muffins, pancakes, or waffles Wild or whole grain rice
Vegetables	Soft-cooked or canned vegetables Raw salad greens or tomatoes Cooked potatoes without the skin (except fried or chips)	Fried potatoes Hard, raw vegetables (eg, carrot sticks) Cooked vegetables with large seeds or tough skins
Fruits	Soft raw fruits (without skin) Cooked and canned fruits (without skin)	Dried fruits Fruits with skins, seeds, or pits Coconut
Milk	Milk and milk drinks Yogurt Cheese, cottage cheese	Cheese with nuts or seeds
Meats and Beans	Tender meat, pork, poultry, and fish Eggs Tofu Smooth peanut butter	Deli meats, such as salami or pepperoni Bacon Anything fried (including fried eggs) Shellfish Fish with bones Nuts and seeds
Fats and Sweets	Ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt Pudding Plain chocolate Cake and cookies without hard pieces (eg, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts)	Products with seeds, dried fruit, nuts, or other hard pieces Fruit or nut pies
Other	Salt, pepper, herbs, and mild spices Sugar, jelly, honey All beverages ( Note: If you have trouble swallowing, you may need thickened liquids.)	Popcorn Fried food Jam with seeds Spicy food or condiments

Suggestions

Use a blender to puree foods, such as soup or fruit, to a tolerable consistency.
Remember to chew foods well before swallowing.
To preserve nutrients when cooking foods:
- Steam or microwave vegetables.
- When boiling potatoes, peel after cooking.
Work with a dietitian to create a meal plan based on your needs.

Resources:

American Dietetic Association http://www.eatright.org/
Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/

Canadian Resources:

Canada's Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/
Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/

References

Lutz CA, Pryztulski KR. Nutrient delivery. In: Nutrition and Diet Therapy: Evidence-based Applications. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: FA Davis Company; 2006.
Nutrition care manual. American Dietetic Association website. Available at: http://nutritioncaremanual.org/auth.cfm?p=%2Findex.cfm%3F . Accessed January 3, 2009.
Soft diet. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center website. Available at: http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=544&morg_id=0&sec_id=0&gsec_id=28524&item_id=28527 . Accessed May 6, 2007.

Last reviewed March 2013 by Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN

All EBSCO Publishing proprietary, consumer health and medical information found on this site is accredited by URAC. URAC's Health Web Site Accreditation Program requires compliance with 53 rigorous standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audits. To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at HLEditorialTeam@ebscohost.com.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.