99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (2024)

Table of Contents
When you should eat a soft food diet What foods to eat Grains Fruits and vegetables Proteins Dairy What foods to avoid Starches Vegetables Fruits Proteins How to prepare soft foods Recipes for the soft food diet Mashed Heavenly mashed potatoes Cheesy spinach mashed potato cups Spiced sweetpotato cauliflower mash Herb and garlic mashed potatoes Potato pancakes Irish Colcannon Loaded smashed potato skillet Cheesy mashed potato casserole Eggs High protein egg scramble with quinoa Italian egg scramble Baked egg potato bowls Rice Cheesy rice balls Fried rice Cheesy zucchini rice Simple turmeric rice with peas Texas Hash Cheddar chive rice Baked casseroles, lasagnas and more Broccoli chicken casserole Shepherd’s pie Classic Lasagna Baked ravioli Cauliflower casserole Soups Creamy chicken soup Slow cooker split pea soup Zuppa Toscana Roasted garlic soup Homemade tomato soup Egg drop soup Creamy tortellini soup Chicken noodle soup Creamy potato leek soup with bacon Cheesy chicken enchilada soup Chicken with herbs soup Pasta Creamy garlic herb mushroom spaghetti Baked spaghetti Cheesy bacon broccoli spaghetti squash One-pan bucatini fra diavolo Instant pot garlic parmesan noodles Salads Tomato quinoa salad Avocado tuna salad Spicy mashed buffalo chickpea salad Avocado egg salad Quinoa mint fruit salad Moist breads Apple and carrot loaf Super moist pumpkin bread Banana bread Zucchini apple bread Milk bread Meat and fish Classic meatloaf Pulled pork with BBQ sauce Baked parmesan crusted salmon Baked lemon garlic tilapia Pancakes and omelettes Cottage cheese pancakes with blueberries Buttermilk pancakes with cinnamon apples Fluffy greek yogurt pancakes Oven baked Denver omelet Spanish tortilla with ham Moist cakes Homemade cinnamon swirl bread Blueberry-sour cream coffee cake Moist vanilla mug cake Lemon drizzle cake Kentucky butter cake Lemon poppy seed loaf Fruits and vegetables Cider vinaigrette roasted root vegetables Peach mango caprese salad Baked peaches Homemade applesauce Mousses Lemon mousse Chocolate avocado mousse Blueberry mousse Smoothies Vanilla mint green smoothie Healthy banana cream pie milkshake Mango banana smoothie Easy cherry smoothie Green tea matcha smoothie Strawberry banana smoothie Sherbets Homemade raspberry sorbet Lime sherbet Sherbet cupcakes FAQs
  • Soft food diets are useful in many situations, such as after oral surgery, tooth extractions, or head, neck, or stomach surgeries, as well as for people with chronic issues that make chewing and swallowing difficult.
  • There are many nutritious soft foods that can be eaten, such as eggs, soft fruits, cooked vegetables, and certain types of protein, but foods that are hard, crunchy, or sticky should be avoided.
  • Soft foods can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as by cutting them into small pieces, using sauces or gravies to moisten them, or pureeing or mashing them. Additionally, there are many soft food recipes available to make the diet more varied and enjoyable.
  • Need to make a dentist appointment this week? Use Authority Dental to find a 24 hour dentists who take your insurance. It’s simple, fast and free.

When exactly you'll need a soft-food diet? Here's everything you need to know.

When you should eat a soft food diet

Eating only soft foods comes in handy in many situations. In fact, this diet is good if you have had any type of mouth, tooth, head, neck, or stomach surgery. Also, you may need to follow this diet if you have a chronic issue that makes it difficult to chew and swallow.

For example, if you have gotten a dental implant placed or any type of oral surgery (wisdom teeth, braces, tooth extractions, etc.), your dentist may recommend a soft food diet. That’s a smart option because, first of all, you’ll have pain and discomfort in your mouth after the procedure. Secondly, it allows the surgical sites to heal better and quicker.

What foods to eat

Before you groan at the idea of a soft food diet, you should know there are plenty of soft foods you can eat.

Here are just a few ideas for this type of diet:

Grains

  • Bread, some cereals, muffins, pancakes, or waffle

  • Some cereals (soft and/or moist)

  • Pasta/noodles, rice

  • Saltine crackers in soup

Fruits and vegetables

  • Applesauce

  • Canned fruit

  • Cooked/baked fruits

  • Soft fruits with no skin (bananas, peaches, watermelon)

  • Soft, cooked veggies

Proteins

  • Eggs (poached, scrambled, or hard/soft boiled)

  • Easy to chew meat, like fish, chopped/ground poultry

  • Small pieces of meat in soup

  • Tofu

  • Baked beans

Dairy

  • Cheese (thinly sliced, melted)

  • Cottage or ricotta cheese

  • Milk and milkshakes

  • Ice cream

  • Yogurt

You should eat food that have a soft texture and are nutritious while on the soft food diet.

What foods to avoid

Yes, there are also plenty of foods you shouldn’t eat. And you should be aware of what they are before you bite into anything.

Here are some off-limits foods for those on a soft food diet:

Starches

  • Toast, crackers, and hard cereal

  • Anything with dried fruits, nuts or other seeds

  • Corn on the cob, uncooked potatoes, hard chips

  • Bagels, French bread, sourdough bread

  • Popcorn

Vegetables

  • Corn on the cob

  • Peas

  • Hard, unmashed, raw vegetables

Fruits

  • Hard fruits, like whole apples, raw carrots

  • Stringy fruits, like pineapple and mango

  • Any skin of a fruit

Proteins

  • Steak

  • Beef jerky

  • Bacon

  • Sausage

  • Hot dogs

  • Peanut butter (both creamy and crunchy)

You should avoid any food that’s tough, crunchy, hard, or sticky while on the soft-food diet. You should also avoid eating foods that are spicy, these can upset your stomach and cause bloating.

How to prepare soft foods

So now that you have the list of foods to eat and not to eat, how can you prepare these foods?

Below are some ideas for how to do just that:

  • Cut food into small pieces.

  • Use broth, gravy, or sauce to moisten food.

  • Soup is a healthy and safe option in a soft food diet.

  • Grind or puree foods.

  • Mash foods, like potatoes, veggies, and fruits.

Recipes for the soft food diet

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with this new diet, that’s normal with anyone who begins eating only soft foods.

But don’t worry. This is not the end of the world. In fact, it’s the perfect time to try something new.

You will be able to swallow most of this food without chewing, including meat. Just shred it into tiny pieces using a good food processor.

Here’s the ultimate list of soft food recipes. These are hand-picked, absolutely the best recipes I could find online.

This page will be updated with new recipes, so make sure to pin it for your further reference.

Your teeth will love this food – guaranteed!

Mashed

Herb and garlic mashed potatoes

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (10)

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (11)99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (12)

https://vikalinka.com/garlic-mashed-potatoes/

Eggs

High protein egg scramble with quinoa

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (25)

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (26)99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (27)

https://krollskorner.com/recipes/quinoa-egg-scramble/

Rice

Baked casseroles, lasagnas and more

Soups

Pasta

Instant pot garlic parmesan noodles

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (112)

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (113)99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (114)

https://nourishplate.com/instant-pot-noodles/

Salads

Spicy mashed buffalo chickpea salad

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (121)

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (122)99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (123)

https://eatwithclarity.com/buffalo-chickpea-salad/

Moist breads

Meat and fish

Pancakes and omelettes

Moist cakes

Fruits and vegetables

Mousses

Smoothies

Sherbets

99 soft food diet recipes | Authority Dental (2024)

FAQs

Can you give me a list of soft foods? ›

Foods to eat
  • Cream of wheat and cream of rice.
  • Cooked white rice.
  • Mashed potatoes and boiled potatoes without skin.
  • Plain pasta and noodles.
  • Plain white crackers (such as no-salt soda crackers)
  • White bread.
  • Applesauce.
  • Cooked fruits without skins or seeds.

What soft foods are good for teeth problems? ›

cooked or canned fruit, including applesauce. hot cereals like oatmeal and cream of wheat (make with milk instead of water to boost nutrition) soft cooked and shredded chicken, beef and pork. creamy-style peanut butter.

What is considered soft food after tooth extraction? ›

  • Soup. Broth-based or blended soups are great following wisdom teeth removal because they do not require chewing and do not contain anything that can damage the extraction sites. ...
  • Scrambled Eggs. Eggs are an excellent food to eat after oral surgery. ...
  • Mashed Potatoes. ...
  • Yogurt. ...
  • Applesauce. ...
  • Smoothies. ...
  • Hummus. ...
  • Instant Oatmeal.

What is allowed on an orally soft diet? ›

Vegetables: soft cooked carrots, green beans, chopped cooked spinach, cooked zucchini without seeds, well-cooked broccoli florets, etc. Fruits: cooked, peeled apples or applesauce, bananas, avocado, peeled ripe peaches, cooked pears, puréed fruits, etc. Eggs: cooked whole eggs or egg whites, egg salad.

Is spaghetti considered a soft food? ›

Which foods should I include? Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta: Breads, muffins, pancakes, or waffles moistened with syrup, jelly, margarine or butter. Moist dry or cooked cereal.

Can you eat a hamburger on a soft diet? ›

As long as the foods you eat are cooked, shredded, blended, chopped, or ground you're usually good to go. Here are some examples of foods you can eat while on a mechanical soft diet: All dairy products except non-shredded hard cheeses. Ground meats.

Is pizza considered soft food? ›

Peanut butter. Fried Foods Sandwiches. Pizza. Soups with easy-to-chew or easy-to-swallow meats or vegetables Soups with chunky meat or vegetables Well-cooked, moistened, boiled, baked, or mashed pota- toes.

What to cook for someone who had oral surgery? ›

Foods We Suggest
  • Soups. Since broths and soups are creamy and smooth, you can consume them without irritating the areas of your dental work. ...
  • Smoothies. A smoothie is a meal in itself. ...
  • Scrambled Eggs. Eggs are a good source of protein for any meal, and they're easy to chew and swallow. ...
  • Mashed Potatoes. ...
  • Salmon. ...
  • Cheese. ...
  • Avocado.

What is an example of a soft solid food? ›

Soft solids are foods that are easy to chew and have a consistent texture. Bananas, baked sweet potatoes and meat from soup, for example, are soft solids.

Are pancakes soft food? ›

Cold cereal softened in milk (for mechanical soft diets). Scrambled eggs or chopped, hard-boiled eggs for mechanical soft diets. Soft breads, such as muffins and pancakes, soaked in liquid to soften them for mechanical soft diets. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

Can I eat soft french fries after tooth extraction? ›

While indulging in French fries may not be advisable in the early stages of recovery, there are plenty of gentle alternatives to consider. Soft, easy-to-chew foods such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and smoothies are typically well-tolerated and provide essential nutrients necessary for healing.

Is meatloaf a soft food? ›

Meatloaf is both delicious and tender, making it one of the good soft foods for after oral surgery.

What soft food doesn't require chewing? ›

Examples of a no chew diet include:
  • Soft scrambled eggs.
  • Lasagna (cut small so that you can swallow small pieces)
  • Mac and Cheese (cut small so that you can swallow small pieces)
  • Flaky Fish.
  • Casseroles.
  • Refried Beans and Rice.
  • Soupy Enchiladas.
  • Pancakes.

What soft foods don't need much chewing? ›

Pureed canned or home made soups with meat, vegetables, barley, canned legumes, cooked split peas or pasta. Pureed casseroles or stews. Very moist scrambled egg or moist, steamed fish. Serve with well mashed or pureed vegetables.

What meat can you eat on a soft diet? ›

Moist, tender meats, fish, and poultry are permitted; it is not necessary to grind them unless desired. Eating small, frequent meals can help to reduce gas or bloating. The mechanical soft diet is a close cousin of the soft diet.

What are some soft foods to eat without chewing? ›

Examples of a no chew diet include:
  • Soft scrambled eggs.
  • Lasagna (cut small so that you can swallow small pieces)
  • Mac and Cheese (cut small so that you can swallow small pieces)
  • Flaky Fish.
  • Casseroles.
  • Refried Beans and Rice.
  • Soupy Enchiladas.
  • Pancakes.

What meats can you eat on a soft diet? ›

Soft and Mechanical Soft Diet
Guidelines for the Soft Diet
Meatsany moist, tender meats, fish, or poultry (lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, tender beef, liver stewed pork), eggs (see exceptions), creamy peanut butter
Dairyall low-fat milk products, smooth yogurt, mild-flavored cheese, cottage cheese
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