Many people couldn't imagine a day without eating solid foods. Yet many people in hospitals have to consume clear or full liquid diets to prepare for a surgery or for another reason. Liquid diets are neither enjoyable nor very nutritious, yet they are often recommended for short periods of time for special medical needs. Liquid diets include beverages like clear soups, clear juices, water and jello. As soon as the surgery is over, or the body is healed of the specific reason for being on the liquid diet, eating solid foods can commence. Yet switching quickly from a liquid diet to a regular diet could lead to gastrointestinal distress. Instead, a slow upgrade from a liquid to a solid diet is recommended.
Step 1
Add thicker liquids to your diet to increase the variety and texture of what you consume. The Mayo Clinic states that most liquid diets allow for only thin liquids like water, tea and juice without pulp. This type of diet is very low in fiber and not very filling. Slow adding thicker beverages into your diet will help you to transition to a regular diet without shocking your system by introducing solid foods right away. Thickened liquids can be purchased in some health food stores or medical supply stores. You can also purchase special beverage thickeners to thicken beverages that are not already thick like juices.
Step 2
Eat very soft foods like oatmeal and cream of wheat which will provide you more vitamins, minerals, calories and fiber than your liquid diet. The benefit of eating soft foods is that they are still easy for your stomach to handle, in case your body is still healing from a condition or procedure. Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology recommends consuming cream of rice, cream of wheat, pudding, yogurt and cream soups. Based on your doctor's personal recommendations, you may want to stick with soft foods for one or two weeks after coming off of the liquid diet.
Step 3
Slowly transition to a regular diet by introducing solid foods which are easy for your stomach to digest. It's probably not a good idea to splurge on hamburger, fries and a soda right after having surgery. Yet three weeks out, your body may be ready for a grilled chicken breast and a baked potato. When you feel ready and have eating soft foods for a few weeks, try cutting solid foods into small bites and chewing them thoroughly so that they are easy to digest. Stick with foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy and grains instead of eating too many fast foods or processed foods.
Things You'll Need
- Thickened liquids
- Food and beverage thickeners
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