The soft diet consist of foods that are tender but not ground or pureed. Whole meat, cooked vegetable and fruits are allowed. It also doesn’t have spicy, fried, or gassy foods. The soft diet reduces the amount of work your digestive tract has to do. It also reduces the chance that your digestive tract will be irritated by the food you eat.

Characteristics of soft diet:

  • Transition diet between liquid and full diet.Soft Diet
  • Aims to provide oral feedings that will promote return to a normal intake of food.

Indication for Use:

  • Post surgical patients ready to have some whole foods but are not yet ready for the regular diet.
  • The diet may be used for the debilitated patients to facilitate ease in eating.

Foods Allowed:

Soft Diet is composed of foods that are easily digested. Mildly flavored foods are emphasized.

  • Vegetables – Cooked mild flavored vegetables, asparagus tips, young tender beans, carrots, mushroom, squash, tomato juice, chayote, green papaya, peas, spinach.
  • Fruit – Citrus fruits without membranes and all fruit juices. Cooked or canned low fiber fruits such as banana.
  • Milk – Whole milk, evaporated milk, low fat milk, milk drinks, milk shake, malted milk, plain yogurt.
  • Rice/Substitute – Rice gruel, bakery products made from white, refined wheat, refined cereals.
  • Meat/Substitute – Any tender meat, fish or fowl, all without tough connective tissues, eggs, cottage cheese, mildly flavored cheese, yogurt, chessy style peanut butter.
  • Soup/Fluids – Broth, cream soup, strained vegetable soup, coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, cereal beverages.
  • Sugar or sweets – Sugar, honey, syrup, plain and unflavored gelatin, soft custards, pudding, plain ice cream, popsicles, sherbet, chocolate, cakes and cookies without nuts.
  • Oils/Fat – Fortified margarine or butter, mayonnaise, gravy, cream, vegetable oil.
  • Miscellaneous – Salt, pepper, vinegar, soy sauce, catsup, mild spices, chopped or ground leaf herbs.

Suggested Meal Pattern and Sample Menu:

  • BREAKFAST
    • Fruit or Juice
    • Egg or substitue
    • Rice or bread with butter/margarine or jam
    • Hot Beverage

Sample Menu

    • Fresh Fruit in Season
    • Scrambled Egg
    • Rice or bread with butter, margarine or jam
    • Coffee, Tea or Chocolate
  • LUNCH
    • Soup
    • Meat, fish, poultry, or substitute
    • Vegetable
    • Rice or substitute
    • Fruit or dessert

Sample Menu

    • Chicken Sotanghon Soup
    • Baked fish (Bangus, Tilapia, etc.)
    • Sayote Guisado
    • Rice
    • Mango, ripe
  • SUPPER
    • Same as lunch

Sample Menu

    • Beef Nilage
    • Rice
    • Leche Flan
  • SNACKS
    • As desired, if necessary

Sample Menu

    • as desired