Soft food basically means, food that is soft in texture and is easy to swallow and digest. Usually doctors recommend soft food diet to the patients who have undergone stomach as well as head and next surgery.
This soft food will give a bit of rest to the digestive system as it is either finely chopped or mashed, making it easy to chew and swallow. Well, mostly post surgery a patient is advised to be on soft food but in some medical conditions calls for having soft food diet permanently.
You need to be very careful in selecting your food, here are are going to help you in doing so.
Foods To Eat Post Surgery
Fruits
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- Avocado
- Banana
- Peeled fruits
- Fruit juices
Vegetables
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- Boiled and mashed veggies
- Mashed potatoes
- Seedless veggies
- Vegetable soup and juice
Grains
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- Well cooked and mashed rice
- Soft pasta
- Oats
- White bread
Protein
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- Tofu, finely chopped
- Scrambled and poached egg
- Meat, fully cooked and chopped
- Fish
- Fully boiled and mashed lentils and beans
- Hummus
Dairy Products
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- Yogurt
- Ice cream
- Milk
- Milkshakes
- Mashed cheese
Dessert
- Custard
- Pudding
- Jelly
- Mousse
- Moist cake
Note: The above mentioned food items are recommended post surgery, but make sure to consult your doctor or dietitian as to what you have to eat.
Foods To Avoid
Fruits
- Apple
- Pineapple
- Dry fruits
- Fruits with peel
- Mango
Vegetables
- Fried potatoes
- Vegetable chips like kale and beetroot
- Carrot, cauliflower and broccoli as they cannot be mashed easily.
Protein
- Hot dog
- Peanut butter
- Seeds
- Fatty meat
- Processed meat
Grains and Cereals
- Popcorn
- Toast
- French bread
- Corn
- Bagel
- Cereals-unsoftened
Desserts
- peanut butter cup cake
- Dry cake
- Pie
- Crumble
Sauces
- Hot sauce
- BBQ sauce
The above mentioned foods can irritate your digestive system and maybe difficult to swallow or digest.
Tips For Preparing Soft Food
The following tips will be of great help to you while preparing soft food for a patient post surgery.
- Always peel the veggies before cooking.
- Cook the veggies until soft.
- You can blend the veggies and make a puree.
- Cook eggs with butter.
- Add chicken or vegetable stock to food to moisten it.
- Add milk or soup to bread to moisten it.
- Do not keep lumps while mashing veggies or fruits.
- You can even sieve the puree to avoid lumps.
