There are many health-related situations in which doctors prescribe a bland diet to their patients. However, despite being a relatively frequent break, doubts often arise about what foods are allowed and prohibited on a soft diet. Or with the way to prepare them.
Next we are going to solve all these questions with the help of Marta García Díaz, dietician-nutritionist at the National Hospital for Paraplegics and Honorary Member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What is a soft diet: digestion, chewing…
There are different types of soft diet.
- Soft, easy-to-digest diet. It aims to make the digestive process more bearable in patients with a clinical problem that affects digestion.
- Soft chewing diet.It is recommended when teeth are missing.
- Mechanical soft diet. It is appropriate when there is jaw movement and requires soft foods.
Despite having similar names, they have different functionalities. “A Madrid stew is a soft diet that is easy to chew, because they are soft foods, but it is a very heavy culinary preparation for a soft diet that is easy to digest.” As a general rule, when talking about a soft diet, it is most likely a soft, easily digestible diet.
When should you follow a soft diet
Food from a soft, easily digestible diet “will be prescribed when there is alterations of the digestive process that require food restrictions, diarrheal processes and poor absorption. It is also the usual break in post-surgical treatments,” says the dietitian-nutritionist. The objective of this type of soft diet is “normalize the proper functioning of the digestive system and thus avoid malnutrition. It must be taken into account that the patient’s digestive system is compromised and this entails loss of many micro and macronutrients.»
These are some of the situations in which this diet is paused:
- Diarrheal processes and poor absorption due to gastroenteritis, gluten contamination in case of celiac disease, etc.
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Gastric ulcers
- Post-surgical treatments and progressive diets.
- In the progress of digestive tolerance diets
- Crohn’s disease
- diverticulitis
It is important to be clear that It cannot be self-paused, nor can it be used in any situation that seems to us.. They are diets that should be applied when there is a cause. They will be prescribed by the doctor or dietician-nutritionist, according to the patient’s needs, to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, these diets cannot be extended over time, except for pathologies such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or abdominal distensions.
Differences between soft diet and astringent diet
The easily digestible soft diet and the astringent diet have different functions and are made with different foods.
Soft, easy-to-digest diet
This diet works on gastrointestinal motility. “You have to go ensuring that the journey of food from the mouth to its expulsion is as easy as possible«, declares the dietician-nutritionist at the Paraplegic Hospital. It is based on foods that make the lower part of the digestive system work little, causing few acids to be secreted in the stomach.
Furthermore, son of easy absorption at intestinal level in order to “recover the microbiota that has been damaged. Its objective is to recover this process as quickly as possible, because, even if it is supervised, they tend to be low-calorie diets, they cause weight loss and inevitably, there may be restrictions in some nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals,” concedes Marta García Díaz.
astringent diet
In an astringent diet, however, you must incorporate foods that make intestinal transit and “the peristaltic movements are slow so that the expulsion function normalizes. It is based on a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibers to improve the consistency of the stool. We must avoid creating blockages and false diarrhea.”
Foods allowed on a soft diet
The base diet of this diet is unprocessed and easily cooked foods, in order to have the digestive system as restful as possible to improve its functionality. These are the main recommendations for permitted foods, as well as their cooking or preparation:
- Divide your intake into several small amounts throughout the day.
- Low-fat protein foods, such as white fish and lean meats
- The best ally for dishes is normal olive oil. Extra virgin (EVOO) is stronger in its composition with a greater amount of phytochemicals
- The most appropriate cooking techniques are oven, grill, roast, papillote, boiling and simple sauces.
- Boiled eggs, in omelets or scrambled
- Pasta, rice or white bread
- cooked vegetables
- Crushed or skinless legumes
- Skimmed dairy and soft fresh cheeses
- Fruits, preferably cooked, such as applesauce, quince or, in moderation, pear, peach…
Foods that we should avoid on a soft diet
Although they are not specified as prohibited foods, there are some that should be avoided. They are the following:
- Processed meats, cured cheeses, sausages and cold cuts in general
- blue fish
- Any fried or battered food
- Pastries, whole grains
- raw vegetables
- In active processes, legumes should be avoided and if consumed, better puree
- Citrus or very acidic fruits
- Spices like pepper, chili…
The entry I have been prescribed a soft diet, what can I eat? was first published in Nutriiendo.
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