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Diets 

Mechanical Soft Diet

This diet is a modification of the Regular Diet for the edentulous resident who has difficulty chewing or swallowing, or for the resident who has undergone temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery. For the greatest variety of foods, all foods that are easily masticated are included in the diet. 

FOODS ALLOWED

FOODS NOT ALLOWED

Beverages 

  • All

  • None

Breads & Crackers

  • Soft breads

  • Rolls

  • Crackers softened in soup or beverage

  • Pancakes

  • Plain muffins

  • Biscuits

  • Breads with nuts

  • Thick crusts

  • Plain Dry bread

  • Toast

  • Tough Bread

  • Breads with raisins if not tolerated

  • Hard crackers

Cereals & Grains

  • Cooked cereals

  • Dry cereals

  • Pasta

  • Noodles

  • Rice

  • Moist bread dressing

  • Cereals with raisins or nuts

  • Granola-type cereals

  • Coarse or dry cereals such as shredded wheat or All Bran

Meat, Meat Substitutes, Entrees

  • Tender meat, fish or poultry

  • Soft cheese

  • Chopped or ground meats, poultry

  • Soft Casseroles

  • Meat, fish, or egg salads

  • Hard cooked or scrambled eggs

  • Smooth peanut butter; liverwurst

  • Yogurt without nuts or coconut

  • Tough fibrous meats (e.g., sausage casings)

  • Fried eggs

  • Yogurt with nuts or coconut 

Vegetables

  • Tender soft-cooked vegetables

  • Vegetable juices

  • Raw of cooked vegetables with tough skins or seeds

  • Fried or raw vegetables

  • Cooked corn

Fruits & Juices

  • Fruit juices

  • Ripe banana

  • Melon

  • Peeled peaches

  • Pears

  • Cooked or frozen fruit

  • Applesauce

  • Stewed prunes; other tender stewed dried fruit

  • Canned peaches, pear, apricots, pineapple, fruit cocktail, citrus sections

  • Fruit with tough skin if not tolerated (e.g., raw apple, dried fruit)

  • Fresh or raw strawberries

Fats

  • All except those to avoid

  • Fats with coarse, difficult-to-chew, or chunky additives

Soups

  • Most soups

  • Soups with tough meats or vegetables

Desserts

  • Cake

  • Tender cookies

  • Ice cream

  • Sherbet

  • Gelatin

  • Custard

  • Pudding

  • Frozen yogurt

  • Flavored yogurt

  • Pie: cream, custard, pumpkin, soft fruit

  • Desserts containing nuts, coarse dried fruit, or tough fruit

  • Desserts baked to a hard consistency

Sugar and Sweets

  • Soft candy

  • Jelly, smooth jams

  • Candy containing tough fruits or nuts

  • Hard candy

Sample Menu

Breakfast

  • Orange juice

  • Cream of wheat

  • Scrambled egg

  • Wheat toast

  • Margarine

  • Jelly

  • Milk

  • Coffee

  • Sugar

  • Creamer

Noon

  • Honey glazed chicken (skinless), Chopped

  • Buttered potatoes

  • Steamed broccoli- Soft Cooked

  • Orange Mousse

  • Dinner roll

  • Margarine

  • Frosted Banana Cake

  • Milk

  • Tea

  • Sugar

Evening

  • Braised Beef (chopped) and noodles

  • Seasoned green beans

  • Peach slices

  • Dinner roll

  • Margarine

  • Soft Cookie

  • Iced tea

  • Sugar

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