Esophageal Soft Diet

Revised: 12/10/2012

Indication This diet is used for patients who have had surgery on the esophagus and stomach. Description This diet contains foods that are soft, easy to swallow and are not irritating to the esophagus. It is important that foods consumed be smooth in texture to facilitate the movement of food through the swollen areas of the esophagus or stomach. Bread products that can expand with fluid are avoided entirely. Nutrition Adequacy This diet meets the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for most nutrients.

Food Foods Allowed Foods to Avoid Beverages All except alcohol Alcohol Breads Pureed pancakes, waffles, French toast, All breads and sweet breads; rolls, biscuits, cornbread, saltine and graham crackers, dressing or stuffing. Breads and crackers containing coarse whole grains, bran, nuts or seeds Cereals Cream of wheat and rice, grits, oatmeal, Cereals containing coarse Malt-O-Meal, cornmeal, puffed wheat, whole grains, bran, nuts, seeds; puffed rice, cornflakes and other refined i.e., bran flakes, shredded cereals wheat, granola Desserts Gelatin desserts, fruit ices, smooth ice Pastries, pies and other cream and sherbet, plain pudding, custard desserts containing nuts, seeds, plain cakes, plain frosting, coconut, dried fruit, fruits with small seeds plain cookies. Pastries and pies without seeds, nuts or coconuts Fats and Oils Butter, margarine, mayonnaise, vegetable Fried foods, highly seasoned oil, mildly seasoned salad dressing gravy containing allowed ingredients, plain gravies, cream sauces Fruits All fruit juices; all baked, canned , cooked All fresh and dried fruits with fruit (without seeds, membranes or tough seeds or skins; i.e. grapes, dates skins), fresh ripe banana, peeled ripe and figs apricot, peach, nectarine and pear; Fresh orange, grapefruit,

Page 1 Food Foods Allowed Foods to Avoid Note: citrus fruit without membranes tangerine, mandarin oranges, (oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines or lemon, or lime sections with grapefruit) may be irritating to the membrane esophagus Meat, Fish, Egg Well cooked tender lean beef, veal, lamb, Stringy or fibrous meats Cheese liver, fresh pork, fish, and poultry with Shrimp, crab, lobster gravy or sauce or in soups Highly cured, seasoned, Meat should be broiled, baked, stewed, smoked, pickled meats and fish roasted, or creamed. Meat may be ground (i.e., frankfurters, cold cuts, or chopped, fish may be flaked corned beef, sausage), fatty or Eggs (except fried) tough meats; fried meat, fish, Cooked beans poultry, strong flavored Casseroles with ground or flaked meat, cheeses. i.e. tuna noodle casserole Fried eggs, bacon, sausage Smooth peanut butter American, Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, Soft cheeses such as parmesan or ricotta, or Mozzarella cheese cottage cheese, cream cheese Potato and Potatoes: baked (no skin), boiled, Any starch without sauce or Starches scalloped or mashed potatoes, with gravy gravy or sauce Fried potatoes, potato chips, Rice with sauce or gravy wild rice Mashed sweet potatoes (no skin), Noodles, macaroni, pasta Soup Creamed and broth-base soups using Any made with ingredients to allowed ingredients be avoided, i.e. chili, bean soup, split pea, lentil, corn chowder Vegetables Canned or cooked vegetables without All raw vegetables (except seeds or skins; artichokes, asparagus, iceberg, butter lettuce), beets, carrots, pureed corn, eggplant, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green or wax beans, green peas, spinach, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, pumpkin, dried split peas, beans, lentils, pimento; all vegetable juices; tomato whole or creamed corn, lima sauce and paste; iceberg or butter lettuce beans, onions, rutabagas, turnips Sweets Sugar, honey, molasses, syrup, jelly, plain Jam with seeds, marmalade, candy, chocolate without nuts, coconut or candy with nuts, coconut or dried fruit dried fruits Miscellaneous Mild mustard, soy sauce, smooth peanut Highly seasoned foods, butter, vinegar, catsup, salt, seasonings condiments not tolerated by and spices such as lemon, pepper as patient, mustard seed, pickles,

Page 2 Esophageal Soft Diet

Food Foods Allowed Foods to Avoid tolerated, cocoa powder. As tolerated by popcorn, olives, nuts, coconut, patient; mustard, chili powder, basil, crunchy peanut butter, chili thyme, nutmeg pepper, garlic. All others not tolerated by patient.

Sample Daily Menu Breakfast Lunch Dinner ½ c. Apple Juice 6 oz. Tomato Basil Soup 6 oz. Vegetable Soup ½ c. Cream of Wheat ® 3 oz. Roast Turkey with Gravy 4 oz. Turkey Meat Sauce 1 Scrambled Egg ½ c. Mashed Potatoes with Gravy 2/3 c. Pasta 1 Banana ½ c. Dilled Carrots ½ c. Green Beans 1 c. Low fat Milk ½ c. Diced Peaches ½ c. Chocolate Pudding 6 oz. Coffee 16 oz. Iced Tea 1 c. Low Fat Milk Sugar and Salt Sugar and Salt 6 oz. Coffee Sugar and Salt

Reference: USC Keck Medical Center. Esophageal Soft Diet. Accessed December 10, 2012.

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