The soft diet serves as a transition from a liquid to a regular diet for individuals who are recovering from surgery or a long illness. It can help to ease difficulty in chewing and/or swallowing due to dental problems or extreme weakness, and it is sometime recommended to relieve mild intestinal or stomach discomfort. The soft diet can be especially helpful to patient who are undergoing treatments like chemotherapy, or radiation to the head, neck or abdominal areas, which may cause digestive problems or make the mouth and throat very sore.

The soft diet limits or eliminates foods that are hard to chew and swallow, such as raw fruit and vegetables, chewy breads and tough meats. In some cases, high-fiber foods like whole grain bread and cereals and "gas-forming" vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower may be restricted to ease digestion. Fried, greasy foods and highly-seasoned or spicy foods may also be limited for this reason.

Food may be softened by cooking or mashing. Canned or soft-cooked fruits and vegetables may be used in place of raw or dried varieties. Refined breads and cereals are usually recommended over coarse, whole-grain types. Moist, tender meats, fish and poultry are permitted; it is not necessary to grind them unless desired. Eating small, frequent meals can help to reduce gas or bloating.

The mechanical soft diet is a close cousin of the soft diet. It gets its name from the fact that household tools and machines, like blenders, meat grinders, or knifes, are used to make foods easer to chew and swallow.

In contrast to the soft diet, the mechanical soft diet does not restrict fat, fiber, spices, or seasonings. Only the texture and consistency of foods are changed. Fruits and vegetable may be soft-cooked or pureed. Meats, fish, and poultry can be cooked or ground, and moistened with sauces or gravy to make chewing and swallowing more comfortable. Bread and crackers may be limited at first, as they can be dry and difficult to swallow. Milk and other dairy products like pudding, custard, and smooth yogurt may not need to be changed at all!

The mechanical soft diet is appropriate for patients who are recovering from head, neck, or mouth surgery, who have dysphasia (difficulty swallowing), esophageal stricture, or who are too ill or weak to chew. The diet also benefits those who have poorly fitting dentures, no teeth, or other dental problems.

Nutrition Facts
Both the soft and mechanical soft diets meets the National Research Council's Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for all nutrients. However, if a patient has poor appetite or is physically unable to eat enough food, either diet may be deficient in calories, protein, vitamins, or minerals. The physician or registered dietitian may recommend nutritional supplements or snacks if this is the case. Consult a professional if either diet is to be combined with other dietary restrictions (e.g., low-sodium diet).

Special Considerations
As one person may tolerate foods that cause discomfort to another, advice for both the soft and mechanical soft diets will vary according to what is appropriate for each individual patient. Guidelines for the soft diet are looser today than they were in the past, especially with regard to the elimination of high-fiber foods like whole grains and vegetables. The mechanical soft diet may also vary according to what textures of food the patient can best chew or swallow. As everyone's case is different, it is best to get a personalized recommendation on either diet from a physician or registered dietitian.

Guidelines for the Soft Diet

	Beverages
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	All		None
	Soups
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Mildly-seasoned broth, bouillon, or cream soup, vegetable soup		Bean, gumbo, split pea, or onion soup, chunky soups or chowder
	Meats
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Any moist, tender meats, fish, or poultry (lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, tender beef, liver)		Fried chicken or fish, fish with bones, shellfish, fried, salted or smoked meats, sausage, cold cuts, raw or fried eggs
	Dairy
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	All low-fat milk products, smooth yogurt, mild-flavored cheese, cottage cheese		Avoid if lactose-intolerant: yogurt with nuts or seeds, sharp or strong cheese, cheeses with whole seeds or spices
	Fruits
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Cooked or canned fruit, soft, fresh banana or avocado, fruit juices		All raw fruit (except banana or avocado), dried fruit (dates, raisins), coconut
	Vegetables
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Soft-cooked or canned vegetable (see exceptions), fresh lettuce or tomato, potatoes (baked, mashed, broiled and creamed), vegetables		Gas-forming vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower), cucumberss, green peppers, onions, turnips, whole kernel corn, raw vegetables, fried vegetables, french fries, hash browns
	Grains
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Refined, cooked or ready-to-eat cereal; refined white, wheat, or rye bread; rolls or crackers; plain white rice		Whole-grain breads and cereals (bran, rye with seeds, or whole wheat); breads or rolls with raisins, nuts, or seeds
	Fats
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Butter, margarine, mild salad dressing, mayonnaise, gravy, cream, cream substitute, sour cream, vegetable oil		Spicy salad dressing, fried foods
	Desserts and Sweets
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Smooth ice cream, ice milk, or frozen yogurt; sherbet or fruit ices; custard or pudding; cake or cookies made without nuts or coconut		Dessert or candy made with dried fruit, nuts or coconut, candied fruit, peanut brittle
	Seasonings
	FOODS ALLOWED		FOODS TO AVOID
	Ketchup; cheese, cream, tomato or white sauces; soy sauce; chopped or ground leaf herbs		Garlic, horseradish, chili powder, whole or seed herbs and spices, barbeque or cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce

Sample Menu Mechanical Soft Diet

	Breakfast		Lunch		Dinner
	• Orange juice _ cup • Oatmeal 1 cup • Sugar 1 tsp. • Banana 1 medium • Whole milk 1 cup		• Ground spaghetti with ground meat • Ground broccoli _ cup • Margarine 2 tsp. • Applesauce _ cup • Chocolate pudding _ cup • Chocolate milkshake 1 cup		• Ground chicken breast 3 oz. • Ground zucchini _ cup • Margarine 1 tsp. • Ground pasta salad _ cup • Vanilla ice cream _ cup • Vanilla milk shake 1 cup
	This sample diet provides the following: Calories 2,043, Fat 61 gm, Protein 81 gm, Sodium 1,584 mg, Carbohydrates 306 gm, Fiber 19 gm

Sample Menu Soft Diet

	Breakfast		Lunch		Dinner
	• Orange juice _ cup • Oatmeal 1 cup • Whole wheat toast 2 slices • Margarine 2 tsp. • Sugar 1 tsp. • Whole milk 1 cup • Banana 1 medium		• Spaghetti with marinara sauce 1 1/2 cups • Italian bread 2 slices • Margarine 1 tsp. • Applesauce 1 cup • Grape juice _ cup		• Marinated chicken breast 3 oz. • Grilled zucchini _ cup • Pasta salad _ cup • Whole wheat rolls 1 • Margarine 1 tsp. • Peach cobbler _ cup • Whole milk _ cup
	This sample diet provides the following: Calories 1,940, Fat 53 gm, Protein 72 gm, Sodium 1,938 mg, Carbohydrates 302 gm, Fiber 24 mg

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