A soft diet is usually recommended if you are having difficulty chewing and swallowing, according to Drugs.com. However, a soft diet may also be recommended if you have had surgery to the head, neck or stomach. The soft diet generally consists of foods that have a soft consistency and are easy to chew, including foods that have been chopped, ground, mashed or pureed. The soft diet contains a wide a variety of foods, making it easy to meet your nutritional needs.
Breakfast
The soft diet generally includes foods low in fiber because they tend to be easier to chew than their high-fiber alternatives. A soft breakfast may include scrambled eggs with white toast, butter, jelly and a glass of juice. You may also have a bowl of low-fiber cold cereal, such as puffed rice, milk and a banana. You can also substitute a low-fiber hot cereal for the cold cereal, such as grits, farina or cream of rice. French toast and pancakes made with white bread and white flour with syrup and orange juice should also be well tolerated on the soft diet.
Lunch
Fried foods and tough cooked meats may be difficult to chew and are not well tolerated by people needing a soft diet. A soft lunch may include a bowl of soup with a soft white dinner roll and some watermelon. You can also have a salad sandwich -- such as tuna or egg salad made with mayonnaise -- on two slices of soft white bread, served with a cup of pudding, canned peaches and a glass of vegetable juice. You can also have a pasta salad made with soft-cooked pasta and vegetables with shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese; serve it with a container of vanilla yogurt.
Dinner
Adding gravies and sauces can moisten food, making it easier to chew and swallow. For dinner try stewed meat with soft-cooked carrots and potatoes with a dinner roll and a glass of milk. You can also try dark meat turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes and soft-cooked green beans. Fish is also very soft and makes a healthy source of protein when following a soft diet. Serve the fish with some soft-cooked rice or noodles and a side of spinach.
Snacks
Many snack foods are well tolerated on a soft diet. Healthy choices include canned fruit, applesauce, bananas, cheese, yogurt, pudding, a slice of bread with creamy peanut butter, graham crackers, custard and gelatin.
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