In Service: Food Consistency For The Therapeutic...
Transcript of In Service: Food Consistency For The Therapeutic...
IN SERVICE:
FOOD CONSISTENCY FOR THE
THERAPEUTIC DIETMary White
Lindsay Wexler
Outline
What is a therapeutic diet?
What is food consistency?
Types of food consistency
Who needs it and why is it important?
Diet prep. And equipment needed
What is a therapeutic diet?
Therapeutic Diet:
Designed by a dietitian to meet a patient’s specific
needs, used to maintain health or modified to
accommodate changes in digestion, absorption, or
organ function ( Nelms p150).
Food consistency:
Aka Texture modifications. Includes oral diets from
Regular, no modifications, to clear liquid.
Food Consistency Diets:
Regular
Chopped
Mechanical soft
Soft diet (GI)
Pureed
Full Liquid
Clear Liquid
Thickened Liquid
Regular Diet
Excludes only very rich foods that may be difficult
for inactive people to digest such as:
pastries
heavy cakes
fried foods
highly seasoned foods
Has a lower caloric count
Chopped Diet
Foods that are cut into pieces ½ inch or smaller.
Often used when the patient can move food from
side to side in their mouth
Examples
casseroles, soft cheese cubes, chicken/egg salad,
chopped pastas or salads, grated carrots, small fruit
pieces.
Chopped Diet
Equipment needed:
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Food processor
Regular diet is chopped into roughly 1/2” cubes
Cook more tough food until soft
Mechanical Soft
Purpose: This diet is designed to minimize the
amount of chewing necessary for the ingestion of
food.
Similar to soft diet, but it is used for individuals who
have difficulty in chewing and or swallowing who
can tolerate foods of a more solid texture than a
pureed or blended diet.
Mechanical Soft Diet
The foods recommended on this diet are blended,
chopped, ground, or pureed and prepared with
added liquids to make them easier for you to eat.
Unlike soft diet: does not restrict fat, fiber, spices or
seasonings.
Preparing Soft/Mechanical Soft
Foods may be softened by cooking or mashing or
blenderizing.
Canned or soft-cooked fruits and vegetables may
be used in place of raw or dried varieties.
Refined breads and cereals are usually
recommended over whole-grain types.
Moist, tender meats, fish, and poultry are permitted
Question!
Which of these would be allowed in a mechanical
soft diet?
Soft Diet (GI)
This diet includes foods that are low in fiber and
soft in texture.
Low in fiber residue, easily digested, and well
tolerated. It is commonly recommended for people
who have gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances.
Soft Diet (GI)
Can give: milk, lean meats, fish, most forms of
potatoes and white breads.
Avoid: most raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds,
coarse breads and cereals are avoided.
Soft (GI)
Sample Menu Item: Roasted Mushroom and Lentil Cakes
Ingredients
½ cup dried red lentils 2 cups chestnut
mushrooms/crimini mushrooms, sliced 2/3 cup
walnuts, chopped 1 medium onion, 1 egg, 1
tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons soy
sauce 1 teaspoon mixed herbs/Italian seasoning
Pureed Diet
This diet is for anyone having difficulty chewing or
swallowing that can not safely consume a
Mechanical soft diet.
Patient A: What is your condition and what can you
eat?
Pureed diet
Equipment needed: Food processor or blender
Regular diet is blended with liquid (water, milk,
gravy).
Full Liquid Diet
Full liquid provides more nourishment than clear
liquid
Often a step between clear liquid and regular diet
Used for:
Patient’s with acute infections
Patient’s with difficulty chewing
Certain disease’s of digestive tract
Full Liquid Diet
Includes all clear liquids plus:
strained cereal/soup
milk, eggnog, cream, yogurt, malt, sherbet/ice cream (plain)
solids that are liquid at room temperature
Thickened Liquid Diet
Thickening agents are added to liquids to prevent
aspiration in patients with dysphasia
Can be added to any liquids from water to broth
Thickened Liquid Diet
Variations include:
Thin
Thickened
Nectar like
Honey like
Spoon thick
Clear Liquid Diet
This diet is for patients going into or recovering from
surgery.
Given every two-four hrs
Can see through the liquids
Do not irritate the bowel or cause gas and are
easily absorbed.
Does not leave residue in intestinal tract: usually
prescribed in surgery prep and immediately after
surgery, but still provides water and carbohydrates
Clear Liquid
Foods allowed include:
tea, coffee, with sugar, but no cream
clear, strained, fruit/veggie. juices
meat broths, fat free
ginger ale, 7up, Coke
gelatin
Clear liquid Diet
Patient B: What is your condition? And what can you
eat?
References
Marcia Nelms, et al. Nutrition Therapy and
Pathophysiology 2006 1st Ed.
http://www.health-
diets.net/healthsearch/therapeuticdiet.htm
http://www.dietsite.com/dt/Diets/TexturedAltered/
MechanicalSoftDiet.asp
http://gicare.com/Diets/Soft-and-Mechanical-Soft-
Diet.aspx
http://www.dietsite.com/dt/Diets/TexturedAltered/
MechanicalSoftDiet.asp