Soft foods
Soft Foods
Choosing soft foods can help you get the nourishment that you need when you are fatigued, breathless or have a sore mouth.
You may also benefit from taking a softer diet if you have;
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Changes to your dentition
- Painful swallowing
- Dry mouth
- Feeling full up quickly (early satiety)
If you have swallowing difficulties and have been advised to have a certain texture of food or thickness of fluid this information does not replace advise you may have already been given. If you are unsure please contact your GP or Speech and Language Therapist.
How do I follow a soft diet?
You can still get all the nutrients that your body needs from eating a soft diet.
You may be familiar with the ‘Eatwell Guide’. This diagram shows the proportion of each food group that our energy should come from to follow a healthy balanced diet.
There are five food groups and your body needs sources from all of the food groups to get the nutrients that it needs. These are;
- Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
- Fruit and Vegetables
- Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
- Dairy and alternatives
- Oils and spreads
The below information is based around each of the food groups as seen on the eatwell guide to help you eat a balanced diet whilst choosing soft options.
To find out more about the individual food groups including portion sizes visit NHS Inform.
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet you can find more information here to help you have a balanced diet as well as links to vegetarian and vegan eatwell guides.
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
- Mashed potatoes
- Well-cooked pasta
- Well-cooked rice
- Baked potato without skin
- Mashed sweet potato
- Toast with melted butter
- Wrap/crumpet/pancake
- Noodles/Couscous
- Cereal soaked in milk or a milk alternative
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
- Baked beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Hummous
- Scrambled or poached egg
- Minced meats
- Pate
- Ground nuts
- Smooth nut butter
Fruit and Vegetables
Try tinned, skinless or well cooked varieties as part of a meal or as a snack
- Cucumber (without skin)
- Melon
- Tinned or skinned pear or peach
- Cooked carrot - try it mashed
- Celery
- Shredded brocolli
- Chopped tomatoes or Passata
- Stewed apple or Apple sauce
- Mashed banana
- Butternut squash - try it mashed
- Courgette
- Berries (Try defrosted frozen berries)
- Mashed avocado
- Fruit juice
- Vegetable soup
- Roast pepper
Dairy and alternatives
- Yoghurt
- Custard
- Rice pudding
- Cheese spread
- Crème fraiche
- Cottage cheese
Meal Ideas
- Soup
- Macaroni Cheese
- Shephard's Pie
- Spaghetti bolognaise
- Corned beef hash
- Fish pie
- Beans or tinned spaghetti on toast
- Scrambled egg on toast
- Baked potato (without skin) and filling
- Lasagne
- Fish cakes
- Cauliflower cheese
- Omelette
- Ratatouille
- Poached fish fillet with mashed potato
Dessert or snack ideas
- Crème brulee
- Stewed fruit
- Mousse
- Whipped pudding
- Mashed banana or mashed avocado on toast
- Trifle
- Ice Cream and jelly
- Custard
- Rice Pudding
- 'Melt in the mouth' crisps
- Wotsits
- Chipsticks
- Skips
- Cheese Puffs
Try cooking foods in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker
This will tenderise meats
Use a blender to puree or liquidise foods
If you are pureeing an entire meal, take each food separately and display as you usually would
Medication
If you are having difficulty swallowing your medication please speak with your G.P or pharmacist to discuss an alternative preparation
Keep your bowels moving
If you are taking a soft diet, it is likely that your diet will contain less fibre than if you were having a normal texture of food.
You may need to consider speaking with your pharmacist or healthcare professional to consider a laxative if your bowels become sluggish to avoid constipation.
Visit our page for more information on managing constipation.
Recipe ideas
Macmillan have some fantastic recipe ideas suited to people with eating problems with cancer. Download a PDF version of this booklet or order it for delivery.
Add a sauce to moisten meals
- Peppercorn sauce
- Cheese sauce
- Cranberry sauce
- Mint sauce
- Mayonaise
- Salad cream
Try pre-prepared meals
For ease, you could try ready meals or meal delivery services. They often have soft options included in their selection.