Manual of Clinical Nutrition

Mechanical Soft (Dental Soft) Diet

Manual of Clinical Nutrition Management A- 29 Copyright © 2013 Compass Group, Inc.

FOOD GUIDE – MECHANICAL SOFT (DENTAL SOFT) DIET

FOOD GROUP RECOMMENDED AVOID

Beverages All None

Breads and Crackers Soft breads, rolls Breads with nuts, thick crusts

Plain crackers softened in soup or beverage Dry bread, toast, or tough bread

Pancakes, plain muffins Breads with raisins if not tolerated

Biscuits Hard crackers

Cereals and Grains Cooked cereals Cereals with raisins or nuts

Dry cereals

Pasta, noodles, rice

Moist bread dressing

Granola-type cereals

Coarse or dry cereals, such as

shredded wheat or All Bran

Vegetables and

Potatoes

Tender soft-cooked vegetables

Vegetable juices

Raw or cooked vegetables with

tough skins or seeds; fried or raw

vegetables; cooked corn

Fruits and Juices Fruit juices Fruit with tough skin if not tolerated

Ripe banana, melon, peeled peaches, pears (e.g., raw apple, dried fruit)

Cooked or frozen fruit; applesauce Fresh or raw strawberries

Stewed prunes; other tender stewed dried

fruit

Canned peaches, pears, apricots, pineapple,

fruit cocktail, citrus sections

Meat, Meat Substitutes, Tender meat, fish, or poultry Tough fibrous meats (e.g., sausage

Entrees Soft cheese casings)

Chopped or ground meats, poultry Fried eggs

Soft casseroles Yogurt with nuts or coconut

Meat, fish, or egg salads

Hard cooked or scrambled eggs

Smooth peanut butter; liverwurst

Yogurt without nuts or coconut

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 Desserts containing nuts, coarse

Ice cream, sherbet, gelatin, custard, pudding,

frozen yogurt

dried fruit, or tough fruit

Deserts baked to a hard consistency

Pie: cream, custard, pumpkin, soft fruit

Flavored yogurt

Sugar and Sweets Soft candy Candy containing tough fruits or

Jelly, smooth jams nuts, hard candy

Diet following temporomandibular joint surgery: Foods such as breads, crackers, and cookies should be

broken into small pieces before eating to avoid biting down or widely opening the mouth. Foods that may not

be tolerated include: toast, unground meat, snack chips, foods containing coconut, and corn.