What to eat during rehab

There is a therapeutic diet par excellence, a meal plan that can be applied with greater or lesser restrictions in different situations and that is recommended by doctors when, for example, it is necessary for the digestive system to work as little as possible in a patient’s recovery phase.

This is the “soft diet” that is part of the so-called “tolerance diets” that allows the patient to gradually adapt to a normal diet. This can happen after surgery or an illness that requires a special diet.

Thus, the soft diet is a therapeutic-type meal plan that does not necessarily refer to easy-to-chew or tender foods, but rather to consume foods that are easily digested.

To avoid confusion today at thedietmd.com we share a series of foods and menus that can be part of a moderate fat diet and that do not stimulate gastric secretion.

So, if you have doubts about what to eat on a soft diet, take note of the following recommendations that will help you design practical, easy, healthy and tasty menus.

When to go on a soft diet?

The soft diet was designed for people who are recovering from diseases such as gastroenteritis, colitis, ulcers or gastritis and also for people with digestive difficulties, a delicate stomach or suffering from stomach pain or who have undergone any gastric type intervention

It is not a diet to lose weight but to take care of the digestive system and therefore requires the abstention of certain foods because it also seeks to detoxify the body, therefore it is recommended to design menus low in fat and fiber and always using healthy cooking methods such as grilled, baked, in a double boiler, papillote, boiled or steamed.

Foods included and excluded in the soft diet

Here is a list of foods included and excluded within a soft diet that will allow you to create healthy and easily digestible menus:

• Starches and Cereals : White bread, rice, cereal porridge, cooked oatmeal and steamed or boiled potatoes. Avoid whole grains and pastries.
• Meat and fish : White meats such as grilled, boiled, steamed or baked turkey or chicken are included. Fish must be white and using the same cooking methods as meats, always avoiding cold cuts, blue fish, shellfish and red meat.
• Eggs : As a general rule, you can take soft-boiled eggs or prepare a white French omelette.
• Dairy : Natural dairy such as yogurt, cottage cheese and fresh cheese are allowed, avoiding aged cheeses. Avoid aged cheeses and desserts such as flan or custard because of their high sugar content.
• Vegetables : Cooked or pureed vegetables are allowed the same as vegetable broths, avoiding raw and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli and both raw and cooked tomatoes.
• Fruits : Fruits prepared in the form of compote or cooked are allowed and therefore raw fruits should be avoided, I leave ripe bananas.
• Legumes : It is not allowed to eat whole legumes but small amounts of legumes can be included in the menu in pureed form and without skin.
• Fats : Fats in small amounts are usually well tolerated, but should be limited to some such as olive oil, butter or avocado.
• Drinks : Water, milk (according to tolerance) infusions with the exception of tea and broths, avoiding alcohol, acidic fruit juices, carbonated soft drinks and coffee.

Other foods that should be avoided in the soft diet are chocolate, sweets in general, fried foods, sauces, hot spices, pickles, vinegars and very sugary preparations or with many spices.

Likewise, it is recommended to eat five meals a day as this avoids not only eating a lot but also digestion is easier.

Examples of bland diet menus

Below we share several examples of  soft diet menus that will allow you to follow a healthy but also tasty meal plan and not at all boring.