Your doctor may recommend a soft diet after surgery or during cancer treatment. In the soft diet, all food must be tender, moist and easily chewed. As with all diets, it is important to choose a variety of nutritious foods by using resources like the USDA food pyramid and your doctor or dietitian. The soft food diet is reminiscent of baby food, but with a little creativity this diet can be tasty and nutritious.
Grains
Choose moist bread with a soft crust. If you can roll the bread between your palms into a ball with few crumbs, it is probably an appropriate option. For breakfast, choose cooked grains like oatmeal or let your favorite cereal sit in milk until it becomes soft enough to be mashed. Moist muffins without seeds or pieces of fruit are a tasty snack. Cook pasta three to four minutes longer than you normally would to make it completely soft. For variety, try waffles with melted cheese on top. Dip small pieces of soft tortilla into barley soup instead of using crackers.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit or vegetable juices are healthy beverages. Puree firmer vegetables like carrots or broccoli and make the puree into soup. Serve mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes without the skin. Vegetable soup with pasta is a soft lunch choice. If you crave raw fruit like an apple, finely grate it using a cheese grater first. Canned fruit is an option as long as it does not have skin or seeds. Incorporate applesauce into your baking as an oil replacement. All foods must be moist and tender, so avoid dried fruit. Use naturally soft fruits like banana sliced on top of oatmeal.
Milk
Dairy products are generally already soft and easy to chew. Choose from milk, yogurt, sour cream or ice cream. Avoid yogurt products and ice cream with added fruit, cookie pieces, seeds or nuts.
Meat and Alternatives
Look for labels that describe canned meat as flaked, such as flaked tuna or chicken. Make scrambled eggs with cheese or have a soft-boiled egg. If you are craving cheese, eat it melted on food or melted in a sauce. Alternatively, choose the naturally soft cottage or ricotta cheeses. Use tofu in recipes as a meat replacement. Try ground beef made into meatballs and cooked in spaghetti sauce. This keeps the meatball moist and soft. Use minced or finely chopped meats in soup for added moisture. You can eat tender chicken if you cut it into 1/4 inch squares first.
Oils and Fats
Add moisture as well as fats to your food by using mayonnaise on sandwiches. Add gravy on top of shredded or finely chopped meat. Mash beans and top them with gravy for an alternative to mashed potatoes. Use white or cream sauces on pasta. Choose cream cheese as a dairy option and add it to mashed potatoes.
Discretionary Calories
Desserts can be more than just gelatin. Try pudding or custards as a treat. You can eat fruit pies if the fruit is tender and you can remove and discard the top crust. Moist cakes without nuts are another option. Try cookies dipped in milk or coffee. Just remember to keep your desserts moist and tender.
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