A tonsillectomy is a medical procedure in which a surgeon will completely remove your tonsils. A tonsillectomy diet, which generally lasts for a period of seven days, serves to reduce the amount of stress on the throat to promote healing and avoid any unnecessary pain. The exact post-operative diet may differ between individuals based on how well you tolerate the surgery, but the diet recommendations follow the same general pattern.
Clear Liquid Diet
Immediately following tonsillectomy surgery, you will be instructed to follow a clear liquid diet. A clear liquid diet involves any clear liquids that are easy on the throat and do not leave any residue in the digestive tract. A clear liquid diet may include water, fruit juice without pulp, broth, sports drinks, gelatin, and plain tea or coffee. A clear liquid diet provides adequate hydration and important electrolytes, but does not provide adequate amounts of nutrients to sustain you for the long term. You should follow a clear liquid diet for a few days, until you feel ready to introduce soft types of food.
Soft Foods Diet
The next dietary step is a soft food diet, which can ease the transition from a clear liquid diet back to solid foods. A soft foods diet involves foods that are easy to chew and swallow. These foods may be mashed, chopped or pureed. A soft food diet generally consists of cooked fruits or vegetables, pasta, soft bread, applesauce, broth-based or pureed soups, milk, cheese, yogurt, and pudding. You may also drink any types of beverages you wish, although it is important to drink adequate amounts of water to ensure that you stay hydrated.
Solid Foods
After you follow a soft food diet for several days, you may feel that you are ready to return to a diet of solid foods. A solid food diet period is the time during which you will reintroduce foods that you ate prior to surgery. You will slowly return to your regular diet. When you feel that you are ready to reintroduce solid foods, do so slowly and make sure that your throat is not sore and that the solid foods do not increase any pain.
Considerations
Even if your pain is gone and you feel like you are able to tolerate solid foods within the first week after a tonsillectomy surgery, the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Medicine and Public Health notes that you should not eat foods that are rough and crunchy for the entire first week. These foods include popcorn, pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips, nuts and cold cereal. Crunchy, hard foods can scratch the throat and cause bleeding, which may increase the risk of post-operative complications.
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health also notes that you may lose a significant amount of weight during the healing period. As long as you drink enough fluids and avoid dehydration, the weight loss is not a cause for concern.
