What is soft food

At some point or another, you may find yourself needing to follow a soft foods diet. But what does a “soft diet” mean? What foods are allowed? And—most importantly—how can you meet your nutritional needs? We break down the answers to these questions (and more)!

Índice Show

Why would I follow a soft foods diet?
What are examples of soft foods?
What are some soft foods to eat after oral surgery (or otherwise)?
What soft foods are high in protein?

Just got braces? Reach for these nutritious soft foods.

Why would I follow a soft foods diet?

There are lots of reasons you may need to follow a soft diet. Oral surgery, difficulty swallowing or GI tract surgery (which affects your esophagus, stomach or intestines) are just a few examples. And with all of these issues, a temporary soft diet helps your body heal without putting extra strain on the affected area.

What are examples of soft foods?

When trying to figure out which foods are considered “soft,” there are a few good rules to follow. The food should be easily mushed with a fork and broken down without a lot of chewing. You’ll want to avoid foods with seeds and skins as well as raw veggies, fruits (unless they are very soft), nuts and tough cuts of meat.

What are some soft foods to eat after oral surgery (or otherwise)?

Here are some great go-to’s that are actually satisfying:

Smoothies and shakes
Yogurt, pudding and ice cream
Avocado
Smooth soups, or those with very soft chunks
Mashed potatoes, or a soft baked potato without the skin
Cooked fruits, like applesauce
Ripe fruits, like bananas or peaches without the skin
Peeled veggies, cooked until soft
Oatmeal and other hot cereals
Pasta, cooked until very soft
Soft bread without whole grains, seeds or nuts
Gelatin desserts (like this smooth lime gelatin salad)

What soft foods are high in protein?

Given that soft food diets are typically recommended after a surgery, eating enough protein is important for the healing process. But seeing as a lot of high-protein foods aren’t considered “soft,” how can you meet your needs? Here are some great options:

Tender meats, like pot roast, shredded chicken or pulled pork (Gravy is your friend on a soft diet!)
Yogurt or kefir
Nut butters, like peanut, almond or cashew
Smoothies made with protein powder, yogurt, kefir or nut butters
Soft scrambled eggs and egg salad
Tuna and shredded chicken salad
Flaky fish, like salmon
Cottage cheese and other soft cheeses, like fresh mozzarella
Refried beans, soft-cooked beans and bean soup
Silken tofu

While following a soft diet after surgery or with a medical condition can seem intimidating, it’s very attainable (and can also be super delicious)! With some creativity and planning, you can include all of the major food groups and pack in enough protein for proper healing.

Try These Soft Food Recipes

Taste of Home

One of the nice things about this easy pudding is you don't have to stand and stir it. It's a must for us at Christmas—at Thanksgiving and Easter, too! I also make it into a pie with graham cracker crust that our grandchildren love. —Amber Sampson, Somonauk, Illinois Get Recipe

When I was sick, my mom would make me this heartwarming chicken noodle soup. It was soothing when I had a cold, but this soup is a bowlful of comfort on any chilly day. —Anthony Graham, Ottawa, lllinois

Whip up this creamy concoction as a refreshing and nutritious snack or a quick chilled breakfast. Because you can use frozen fruit, you don't have to wait until peaches are in season to enjoy this delicious smoothie. —Martha Polasek, Markham, Texas

Taste of Home

Who doesn’t love fluffy, homemade mashed potatoes? Make them even better with sharp cheddar cheese. To get them really creamy, my mother's secret was to add whipping cream instead of half-and-half. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon

This oatmeal tastes like bananas Foster, my favorite dessert. If you can’t find rum extract, double the vanilla. —Carol Touchton, Seffner, Florida

You'll love this smooth and creamy gelato with bright strawberry flavor and just a hint of sea salt and honey. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon

These are my favorite scrambled eggs. The white sauce, flavored with chicken bouillon, keeps the eggs creamy and moist. It's a tasty twist on a morning mainstay.

I always end up with lots of rhubarb each summer, but many of the recipes use a lot of sugar. This one lets the fruit sweeten up the rhubarb instead. I refrigerate the sauce overnight to help the flavors blend. —Amy Nelson, Weston, Wisconsin

To show some love at a family gathering, I fill a stockpot with this rich turkey soup brimming with veggies, potatoes and dumplings. —Lea Lidel, Leander, Texas

You just can't beat the best buttermilk pancakes for a down-home hearty breakfast. Pair it with sausage and fresh fruit for a mouthwatering morning meal. —Betty Abrey, Imperial, Saskatchewan

Taste of Home

The wonderful homemade goodness of this creamy Velveeta mac and cheese makes it a staple side dish in my mother's kitchen and in mine as well. It has tender noodles and a crowd-pleasing golden crumb topping. —Maria Costello, Monroe, North Carolina

I first tried this stuffing a few years ago, and it fast became our family's favorite. Just flavor a hearty corn bread mix with mushrooms and bacon and taste the spectacular results. —Kathy Traetow, Waverly, Iowa

It's so simple and easy to make your own frozen Greek yogurt, you might even want to get the kids in on the fun. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

Taste of Home

Much of the work for this soup can be done in advance, and it keeps all day in the slow cooker. The recipe can easily be doubled if you’re feeding a crowd. Once you’ve tried it, try mixing it up—add sage or savory with the thyme, or replace the thyme with nutmeg. For a vegan version, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. —Jennifer Machado, Alta, California

As a child I grew up on a farm where eggs and herbs were plentiful in summer. My mother made these eggs and I've made them for my own family. Just add toast!—Patricia Nieh, Portola Valley, California

Taste of Home

I try to get as many fruits and veggies into our menus as possible. A smoothie is a great way to load up on nutrients. This banana one is a favorite! —Tiffany Van Zee, Pella, Iowa

Taste of Home

When it's apple-picking time, it's also time for all the delightful treats you can make with them, including applesauce. This is my favorite way to prepare it. It's simple to do and it makes the whole house smell like fall. —Renee Pajestka, Brunswick, Ohio

Every family seems to have their own favorite dressing recipe that becomes a tradition, and this is ours. It came from Grandma, who passed it down to my mother. Now our children have carried it into their kitchens. This is truly a good old-fashioned recipe. —Norma Howland, Joliet, Illinois

Taste of Home

My mac and cheese is simple and has lots of flavor from the cheeses and ground chipotle chile. I use conchiglie pasta because its shape allows more melted cheese to pool inside. Yum! —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia

Taste of Home

Even though this dessert is quick to fix, it has a creamy pumpkin taste and golden harvest look...just like traditional pumpkin pie. It's a great dessert for both everyday dinners and special-occasion suppers.—Linda Clapp, Stow, Ohio

Garlic mashed potatoes are high on our love list. To intensify the flavor, I combine garlic and olive oil in the food processor and drizzle it on top of the potatoes. — Emory Doty, Jasper, Georgia

Taste of Home

Ginger, garlic powder and green onion blend nicely in an easy marinade that gives pleasant flavor to salmon. We also like to use this versatile mixture when grilling chicken, but we've found it tastes even better when marinated in the fridge overnight. —Dan Strumberger, Farmington, Minnesota

TMB Studio

I'm not joking when I say I make pancakes every weekend. I love them in any form and variation. —James Schend, Culinary Deputy Editor, Taste of Home

Cool off with a thick and rich treat that will remind you of a malt shoppe! Nothing can beat this strawberry shake recipe. —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Taste of Home

This soup was a hit with a group of German exchange teachers who visited our high school. When I don't use bread bowls, I usually serve it with soft pretzels or crusty bread. And it's also an even bigger treat with slices of cooked bratwurst or kielbasa stirred into it. —Paula Zsiray, Logan, Utah

Taste of Home

You need just four ingredients to blend together these super-fast smoothies for breakfast. Try whipping them up on a hot summer day for a cool and refreshing treat. —Macy Plummer, Avon, Indiana

This creamy, luscious ice cream will remind you of the signature treat served at church ice cream socials. What dessert could be better? —Esther Johnson, Merrill, Wisconsin—Esther Johnson, Merrill, Wisconsin

On winter evenings, we like nothing better than a piping hot bowl of soup. This one uses the turkey carcass to make a flavorful stock for the soup. —Susan Albert, Jonesburg, Missouri

It's a cinch to jazz up instant mashed potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, then cook and serve them from a slow cooker. For a special touch, sprinkle this creamy mashed potatoes recipe with chopped fresh chives, canned french-fried onions or fresh grated Parmesan cheese. —Donna Bardocz, Howell, Michigan

The lemon pulls this flavorful and healthy dish together. You can use grated Parmesan cheese instead of Romano if you'd like. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey

Taste of Home

While I don't have scientific proof of it, Red Pepper Soup works for me as a head cold remedy! It is a good gift to take when visiting a sick friend, too. For a pretty touch, top the soup with grated cheese and parsley. We enjoy it with jalapeno cheese buns. You can also serve it with warm garlic bread. —Barb Nelson, Victoria, British Columbia

Taste of Home

Life is too short to pass on dessert. This old-fashioned treat is so creamy and comforting! —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia

The third U.S. president is credited with jotting down the first American recipe for this treat. No vanilla bean on hand? Substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Just stir the extract into the cream mixture after the ice-water bath. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

When I created this dish I was thrilled that my husband enjoyed it so much. He normally prefers omelets for brunch, but devoured his first helping of these eggs, then asked for more. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida

There's nothing like fresh salmon, and my mom bakes it just right so it nearly melts in your mouth. The sour cream dill sauce is subtly seasoned with horseradish so that it doesn't overpower the delicate salmon flavor. —Susan Emery, Everett, Washington

Taste of Home

We had all kinds of apple trees in the yard when I was growing up, so I don't know for sure which ones Mother liked best for applesauce. (Today I use Cortlands.) I do know that her applesauce was very white. The secret, she said, was to keep the apples in salt water while she peeled them so that they wouldn't darken. —Doris Natvig, Jesup, Iowa

Tender pancakes are filled with minced apple and raisin, and drizzled with apple cider syrup. They're wonderful in the summer or on a cool fall morning. —April Harmon, Greeneville, Tennessee

Peak-of-freshness strawberries make this thinner, easy drink a summer staple. —Elizabeth Johnson, Greenville, South Carolina

My husband and I often crave pakoras, deep-fried fritters from India. I wanted to get the same flavors but use a healthier cooking technique, so I made soup using all the classic spices and our favorite veggie, cauliflower! —Melody Johnson, DePere, Wisconsin

Even people who have had their own homemade baked macaroni and cheese recipe for years ask for mine when they taste this crumb-topped version. For the best baked mac and cheese, use extra-sharp white cheddar cheese for more flavor. —Shelby Thompson of Dover, Delaware

My grandsons rave over these creamy potatoes loaded with Parmesan. That’s all the endorsement I need. Sometimes I use golden or red potatoes, with skins on. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California

Taste of Home

Who knew orange and tomato were such a good pair? Whenever I serve this, I keep the recipe handy for requests. —Barbara Wood, St. John’s, Newfoundland

Use fresh or frozen fruits in this coconutty recipe. It's like a pina colada, but better for you and more versatile. —Gunjan Dudani, Bellevue, Washington

Pop these protein-packed salmon fillets in the oven before whipping up a sweet basting sauce. This tangy entree cooks up in minutes making it a perfect meal for busy families and unexpected weekend guests. —Debra Martin, Belleville, Michigan

I’ve made this creamy noodle side for years. Since kids and adults go for it, I keep the ingredients on hand at all times. —Anita Groff, Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania

I could eat soup for every meal of the day, all year long. I particularly like dill and spinach—they add a brightness to this light and healthy soup. —Robin Haas, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Besides being a really easy recipe to make, it tastes very good, too! This is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill macaroni and cheese. The herbs and spices, along with the sour cream, give the dish a wonderful flavor. Serving it with toasted pita bread and salad makes this one of our family's favorite meals, and it's been in the family for a very long time! —Nancy Raymond, Waldoboro, Maine

My children resist veggies, but they love this carrot smoothie. It packs in lots of good-for-you fruits and veggies—but to my kids, it's just a super delicious breakfast. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah

This creamy mac and cheese is so simple it’s almost too easy! Kids always go for the rich cheese flavor, but I’ve never met an adult who didn’t love it just as much. —Ann Bowers, Rockport, Texas

This soup was created to accommodate a few of my dinner guests who were vegetarians. It was so good, we all enjoyed it. This can also be cooked on the stove for two hours at a low simmer. —Donna Marie Ryan, Topsfield, Massachusetts

Originally Published: May 31, 2019