What is a mechanical soft diet?
A mechanical soft diet includes foods that are soft and don't take a lot of effort to chew or swallow. It is for people who have difficulty chewing or swallowing.
A mechanical soft diet is a modified diet for people who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. This diet includes a list of foods that are easy to eat and ways to prepare them that are easier for your body to digest. Here’s why people follow a mechanical soft diet, as well as what to eat and avoid if you’re on this diet.
A mechanical soft diet includes foods that are soft and don’t take a lot of effort to chew or swallow. This could be how the food occurs naturally, or the foods can be prepared in a way that makes them easier to chew. A food is considered to be soft if it is easy to mash with a fork. If a food is stringy or hard to mash, it will probably be too hard to chew or swallow for someone on a mechanical soft diet.
Eating on a soft diet means preparing foods using techniques that are easy to swallow. This can be:
- Blending
- Chopping
- Whipping
- Puréeing
- Blending
- Grinding
- Mashing
Levels of the mechanical diet.There are different levels of the diet, outlined by the National Dysphagia Diet guidelines. Level 1 includes foods that have a pudding-like consistency, so no chunks or mixed textures. Everything should be puréed. At Level 2, you can eat moist foods with a soft texture. Bites can’t be bigger than a quarter of an inch big, and everything should be easy to swallow. Level 3 foods include a wide range of foods, but things that are crunchy, sticky, or very hard should be excluded.
Who should follow a mechanical soft diet?
Your doctor may advise you to follow a mechanical soft diet if you have certain illnesses or health complications. For example, people who have dysphagia, a condition that makes chewing and swallowing difficult, should eat a mechanical soft diet for safety reasons. Eating soft diet foods reduces the risk of food going down the wrong way or getting stuck.
A mechanical soft diet can be recommended if you’re recovering from certain surgeries on the mouth or neck. People who have few or no teeth or with poorly fitting dentures may also find that following a mechanical soft diet makes it easier to eat.
It’s important to note that a mechanical soft diet isn’t the same thing as a soft diet. While a soft diet excludes foods that are hard to chew and swallow, it also excludes foods that are hard to digest. This is why it can also be called a bland diet or a gastrointestinal soft diet. The purpose of a soft diet is to reduce irritation in the digestive tract for people who have gastrointestinal problems.
What to eat on a mechanical soft diet
Unlike a bland diet, a mechanical soft diet doesn’t restrict things like seasonings, fat, or fiber. You can eat most things as long as they can safely be eaten with little to no chewing. Here’s a look at the different food groups and the best products to eat within them.
Dairy. Choose smooth yogurt, cottage cheese, or soft cheese in slices. Avoid hard cheese, either in cubes or slices. Don’t choose yogurt that has granola or nuts added to it.
Starches and cereals. Grains are an important nutritional group, so you should feel free to enjoy a number of different products. Some examples include:
- Oatmeal
- Cold cereal softened with milk
- Potatoes — boiled, mashed, or baked
- Soft, moist pasta
- Soft bread
- Pancakes or French toast softened with maple syrup
- Muffins
- Soft white rice
Avoid dry bread or cereal that has seeds or nuts, as these are both hard to chew and swallow. You also shouldn’t eat chips or crackers for this reason.
Proteins.There are many proteins to choose from. It’s important that they either be cut into small pieces or cooked in a way so that they stay moist and can be easily cut with a fork. You can choose from:
- Tofu
- Scrambled, poached, or other eggs that are still soft when cooked
- Moist beans or legumes
- Baked, poached, or broiled fish
- Cooked ground meat or poultry
- Shaved deli meat
- Tuna or egg salad without raw veggies
- Small chunks of meat served in a sauce for moisture
Avoid meats that are dry or stringy or that have a casing, like sausages and hot dogs.
Produce. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients. The best ways to eat them are blended, mashed, or puréed. You should avoid eating raw vegetables. If you eat cooked fruit or vegetables, they should be cut into small pieces and easily mashed with a fork or spoon. When it comes to fruit, you should avoid fruits that have seeds or skins, as well as dried fruit.
Nutrition tips for a mechanical soft diet
When starting on a mechanical soft diet, you should make sure that you're still eating a variety of foods to get the nutrition that you need. This means eating foods of varying thicknesses and textures from all of the basic food groups. When it comes to liquids, you should aim to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.
As long as you try to eat a variety of foods, eating a mechanical soft diet is healthy. However, if you have a poor appetite or if you’re having difficulty eating enough food, you might need to supplement your diet with liquids like juice or smoothies. You can also talk to your doctor about taking vitamins and minerals to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients.
It’s a good idea to equip your kitchen with the tools that you’ll need to properly prepare your meals. For example, you’ll probably need items like:
- Blender
- Food chopper
- Grinder
- Food processor
- Potato masher
- Juicer
These tools can help you make purées, smoothies, and soups, as well as change the texture or consistency of other foods. Try using different gravies, sauces, or juices to change the texture of foods and make them moist enough to mash. With a little extra effort, you should still be able to enjoy what you’re eating on a mechanical soft diet.
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Medically Reviewed on 11/2/2022
References
SOURCES:
Advocate Aurora Health: "Mechanical Soft Foods."
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "Eating Guide for Puréed and Mechanical Soft Diets."
Saint Luke's: "Discharge Instructions: Eating a Soft Diet."
Tufts Medical Center: "Soft Diet and Mechanical Soft Diet."
The University of Toledo: "Understanding Mechanical Soft Diets."
UMMC Health Care: "Dysphagia Mechanical Soft Diet."
UWHealth: "Mechanical Soft Diet."
