Soft Diet

Soft Diet

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Why does my child need this diet?

The soft diet lets your child have foods and fluids when they are not able to tolerate a general diet.  After being on this diet, your child will slowly move to being able to have a general diet. 

Soft diet foods

Beverages

Foods recommended: Milk, malted milk, milkshakes

Foods to avoid: Any with caffeine

Breads

Foods recommended:

  • Enriched white, rye or fine whole grain bread, soft tortilla, rolls and crackers
  • Plain muffins, biscuits. 
  • Pancakes, waffles, cornbread, soft tortillas
  • Coffee cake, sweet roll

Foods to avoid: 

  • Coarse breads, bran rolls, breads or crackers with seeds, coconut or nuts 
  • Any fried breads like a doughnut

Cereals

Foods recommended: Cooked and dry cereals without bran, nuts, seeds or dried fruits

Foods to avoid: Any with bran, nuts, seeds or dried fruits

Desserts and sweets

Foods recommended:

  • Plain custards and puddings 
  • Sherbet, ice cream, fruit ices and frozen pops 
  • Yogurt, cottage cheese, gelatin 
  • Cakes, pies and cookies without nuts or seeds

Foods to avoid:

  • Any with nuts, coconut or seeds
  • Deep fried desserts

Fats

Foods recommended:

  • Butter, margarine
  • Cream and cream substitutes, whipped cream
  • Gravy 
  • Sour cream, salad dressings Mayonnaise

Fruits

Foods recommended: 

  • Cooked, frozen, canned or dried fruits without seeds 
  • Avocado, banana, citrus sections without membrane (such as mandarin oranges) 
  • Fruit juices

Foods to avoid:

  • Other raw fruits such as apples, oranges 
  • Canned, frozen or dried fruits with seeds and tough skins
  • Any not tolerated

Potato or substitutes

Foods recommended:

  • Mashed, baked (without skin), or creamed potatoes, sweet potatoes  
  • White rice, pasta and noodles

Foods to avoid:

  • Hashbrowns, fried potatoes, potato skins, french fries
  • Wild or brown rice, hominy 
  • Potato chips

Soups

Foods recommended:

  • Broth, bouillon, consommé 
  • Any made from allowed food items 
  • Cream soups 

Foods to avoid: Any soups made with foods to avoid

Vegetables

Foods recommended: Soft, tender, cooked vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, carrots, beets, peas, pumpkin, spinach, squash, tomatoes, celery, mushrooms

Foods to avoid:

  • Raw vegetables 
  • Corn, others with coarse skins 
  • Fried vegetables

Miscellaneous

Foods recommended:

  • Mild sauces and gravy 
  • Sugar, jellies, honey, syrup 

Foods to avoid: 

  • Pickles, olives, relishes 
  • Coconut, nuts
  • Potato chips and other fried snack foods; popcorn 
  • Jams and marmalades

Sample menu for child 7 to 10 years old

Breakfast

  • Orange juice (½ cup)
  • Cream of wheat (1 cup)
  • Banana (1)
  • Margarine (1 tsp)
  • Reduced-fat (2%) Milk (1 cup) 

Lunch

  • Cream of tomato soup (1 cup)
  • Saltine crackers (4)
  • Macaroni and cheese (3/4 cup)
  • Canned fruit cocktail (1/2 cup)
  • Reduced-fat (2%) Milk (1 cup)

Dinner

  • Roast chicken (3 oz)
  • Mashed potatoes (1/2 cup)
  • Gravy  (1/4 cup)
  • Green beans, steamed    (1/2 cup)
  • Peaches, canned (1/2 cup)
  • Dinner roll (1)
  • Margarine (1 tsp)
  • Sugar cookie (1)
  • Reduced-fat (2%) Milk (1 cup)

Morning snack

  • Pudding (1/2 cup)

Afternoon snack

  • Applesauce (1/2 cup)

Evening snack

  • Banana bread (not nuts) (1 slice)

For other health and wellness information, check out this resource: https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWi/en/parents

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child has special health care needs that were not covered by this information.