Mechanical Soft Diet

Description

Mechanical Soft Diet provides foods which can be ingested with a minimum of chewing but provides more calories and bulk than the Full Liquid Diet.

The soft food diet is used for people who have a difficulty in chewing or swallowing, but are more able to tolerate soft foods which are semisolid.

The mechanical soft diet is adequate in all nutrients as specified by the RDA's. The consistency of the diet can be adjusted by the nutritionist according to the needs of the patient. This diet is low in calories and may result in weight loss if the calorie content is not adjusted to the level of need.

[Please Note: Applied Health does not advocate the use of margarine in any form, for any purpose. However, we provide the following recipes unaltered, and recommend you consider adjusting your version of the mechanical soft diet to reflect your own interests and beliefs. We simply believe that in an effort to offer your body a diet that is easy to consume and assimilate, choosing a natural ingredient over an artificial alternative is always preferred. 

Extra Note: One of the benefits of the mechanical soft diet is the reduced burden on the body during the process of digestion. An additional step you might consider is to add a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme to your diet to supplement your body's needs, reducing the burden on the pancreas to produce the enzymes, thereby reducing the energy demands that are required for digestion. ]
 

Sample Menu

Menu for One Day

Breakfast
1/2 c grapefruit juice
1 slice rye bread (toasted)
1 egg (poached) or egg substitute
1 tsp margarine or butter
1/4 c cottage cheese - 2% fat
1 c milk - 2% fat
1/2 c instant oatmeal
Hot, noncaloric beverage

Lunch

1 c chicken broth	1/2 small banana
1/4 c tuna (water pack)	1/3 c sweet corn
2 slices rye bread	1 c milk - 2% fat
2 tsp mayonnaise

Dinner
1/2 c tomato juice
1/2 c fruit-flavored gelatin dessert
3 ounces ground turkey broiled
1 2-in slice cornbread
Catsup, mustard optional
1 small pear (without skin)
1/2 c mashed potato
1 tsp margarine or butter
1/2 c spinach
Hot, noncaloric beverage

Total Calories For The Day: 1,247 Calories

Nutrient Content:

Calories:	1247	Fat:	30%
Protein:	17%	Cholesterol:	340mg
Carbohydrate:	53%	Fiber:	8g

 

---

Food Exchange List

Bread and Cereal Exchange List: 4 or more servings/day

Recommended

Whole wheat bread	White bread (enriched)
Soda cracker	Melba toast
Cream of wheat	Cornflakes
Puffed grains	Enriched pasta
White rice	Mashed potato
Baked potato	Sweet potato (without skin)

Avoid

Brown rice	Wild rice
Popcorn	Potato Chips
Beans (dried)	Green peas
Lentil

---

Fat Exchange List: as needed; moderation advised

Recommended

Enriched margarine	Butter
Salad oils	Mayonnaise
Avocado oil

Avoid:
Nuts

---

Fruit Exchange List: 2 or more servings/day

Recommended

All fruit juices	Citrus fruits (without skin)
Bananas	Canned or cooked fruits
Peeled peaches and pears

Avoid
Fruits with seeds or tough skin

---

Meat and Meat Substitute Exchange List: 6 servings/day

Recommended

Any lean, ground meat	Cottage cheese
Lean poultry	Egg
Lean fish	Creamy peanut butter
Lean shellfish

Avoid
All others (tough fibrous meat)

---

Milk Exchange List: 2 servings/day

Recommended
All milk and milk products
Yogurt

Avoid
None

---

Vegetable Exchange List: 2 or more servings/day

Recommended
All vegetable juices
Pureed or tender-cooked vegetables
Tomato (without skin)

Avoid
All others

---

Miscellaneous Exchange List

Recommended
All soups without tough, fibrous meat or vegetables

Avoid
Alcoholic beverages

Note: Include 6-8 cups of fluids, such as water, per day.
 

---

References

Chicago Dietetic Association and the South Suburban Dietetic Association of Cook and Will counties. 1981. Manual of Clinical Dietetics. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia.

Committee of Dietetics of the Mayo Clinic. 1971. Mayo Clinic Diet Manual, 4th ed. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. 67 pp.

Iowa Dietetics Association. 1984. Simplified Diet Manual: with Meal Patterns, 5th ed. Iowa State University Press; Ames, Iowa. 108 pp.