Esophageal Soft Diet Recipes: A Guide to Easy Swallowing and Healing

When irritation occurs in the throat or lower chest when eating certain foods or following a medical procedure, an easily digestible esophageal soft food diet may be necessary to make eating easier. This article provides a comprehensive guide to esophageal soft diet recipes, offering practical advice and food suggestions to ease discomfort and promote healing.

Understanding the Esophagus and the Need for a Soft Diet

Food passes from our mouths to our stomachs through a tubelike organ called the esophagus. A burning sensation in the lower chest or pain after swallowing and the feeling that food gets "stuck" in the throat may be caused by esophagitis, which is an irritation or inflammation along the lining of the esophagus. Acid reflux, hiatal hernias, vomiting, complications from radiation therapy, and certain oral medications are among the reasons the esophagus can develop inflamed tissue. Esophagitis can usually heal without intervention, but to aid in the recovery, eaters can adopt what's known as an esophageal, or soft food, diet.

An esophageal soft food diet focuses on foods that are easy to swallow and digest, minimizing irritation to the esophagus. This diet is often recommended in various situations, including:

• Post-surgery, especially if you’ve had surgery (or radiation therapy) on your mouth, head, neck or stomach
• Digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis or diverticulosis
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)

Principles of an Esophageal Soft Food Diet

The primary goal of an esophageal soft food diet is to provide adequate nutrition while minimizing esophageal irritation. Key principles include:

• Soft Texture: 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.
• Low Fiber: A soft food diet refers to food that is soft in texture, low in fiber and easy to digest. This way of eating is sometimes called a gastrointestinal (GI) soft diet. You want to choose foods that are easy to chew and swallow. Pick foods that contain less than 2 grams of fiber per serving. Once your symptoms resolve, begin to slowly add fiber-rich foods back into your diet.
• Easy Digestibility: Easily digestible foods are the best choice, as is avoiding carbonated drinks or beverages that are very hot or very cold.
• Avoid Irritants: These foods can irritate your digestive system when it’s trying to heal or if it’s inflamed. The goal of a soft diet is to provide foods that are easy to digest to allow the digestive system (from your mouth to your colon) to heal and rest while still providing you with good nutrition.

Food Recommendations for an Esophageal Soft Diet

When adhering to a soft diet, focus on the following foods:

Read also: Nourishing Meals for Esophageal Health

• Proteins: Well cooked tender lean beef, veal, lamb, liver, fresh pork, fish, and poultry with gravy or sauce or in soups. Meat should be broiled, baked, stewed, roasted, or creamed. Meat may be ground or chopped, fish may be flaked. Eggs (except fried), cooked beans, casseroles with ground or shredded meat; i.e., tuna noodle casserole. Ground or pureed beef, pork, and poultry will protect the esophagus, as will broths made with those ingredients. Boneless white fish, such as cod and tilapia, will also be easy to swallow. Some people with esophagitis do well with soft scrambled eggs or egg substitutes. Protein like chicken, turkey, ground meats, tender cuts of beef and pork, fish, eggs, creamy nut butters and tofu.
• Fruits: All fruit juices; all baked, canned, cooked fruit (without seeds, membranes or tough skins), fresh ripe banana, peeled ripe apricot, peach, nectarine, and pear. To keep foods soft, raw fruits and vegetables can be replaced with canned and frozen fruits-like applesauce and fruit cups. Avocados and bananas also work well. Canned, cooked or frozen fruit (canned peaches, applesauce). Soft fresh fruit such as bananas and melon. Fruits like bananas, avocados, seedless melon, peeled apples, peaches and pears or fruit juice without pulp.
• Vegetables: Soups and broths will help soften squash, potatoes (without the skins), carrots, peas, and other vegetables. Season vegetables with butter or margarine and ground spices. Vegetables like potatoes without skin, well-cooked or canned vegetables without skins or seeds, tomato paste, olives and vegetable juice.
• Starches and Grains: For starch, consider putting crackers or bread into soups or broths to soften them. Cooked cereals that don’t have nuts or seeds are gentle enough for an esophageal soft food diet. Cooked cereals without nuts or dried fruits, ready to eat cereals softened in milk. Crackers or matzo balls softened in soup or beverage. Cereal and grains like dry or cooked cereals, white rice and pasta. Breads like plain white bread, plain crackers and graham crackers.
• Dairy: Milk, malted milk, or milkshakes. Soft cheese such as grated Parmesan or Ricotta, cheese sauces and cottage cheese. There is no prohibition on milk and other dairy products, but when eating cheese, select softer options such as cream cheese, brie, Neufchâtel, and ricotta. Yogurt also can be a good choice for someone with esophagitis, but avoid adding fruit, granola, or seeds. Dairy like cow’s milk, nondairy milk, kefir, cheese and yogurt.
• Desserts: Desserts like plain ice cream, sherbet, pudding and gelatin.
• Condiments: Mild mustard, soy sauce, smooth peanut butter, vinegar, catsup, salt, seasonings and spices such as lemon, pepper as tolerated, cocoa powder. Condiments like sugar, honey, jelly without seeds, mayo, smooth mustard and soy sauce. Oils, butter, margarine, ground spices, herbs and salt.

Foods to Avoid

While you’re on a soft food diet, try to avoid:

• All breads and sweet breads; rolls, biscuits, cornbread, saltine and graham crackers, dressing or stuffing.
• All fresh and dried fruit with seeds or skins; i.e.
• Highly cured, seasoned, smoked, pickled meats and fish; ie. frankfurters, cold cuts, corned beef, sausage. Fatty or tough meats.
• Highly seasoned foods, condiments not tolerated by patient, mustard seed, pickles, popcorn, olives, nuts, coconut, crunchy peanut butter, chili pepper, garlic.
• Avoid tough meats, fresh “doughy” bread or rolls, hard bread crust, and abrasive foods.
• Stringy, dry or fibrous-type meats (i.e. steak and spare ribs). Meats containing gristle or peppercorn. Sausage and bacon.
• Fresh or "doughy" breads may cause “sticking”.
• Raw, coarse or abrasive fresh fruits.
• All raw vegetables, including salads.
• Tough fibrous proteins like meats with gristle, meat with casings (hot dogs, sausage and kielbasa), lunch meats with whole spices, shellfish, beans
• All nuts, seeds and chunky peanut butter
• Dried fruits, coconut, frozen or thawed berries, fruit juice with pulp and jams or jellies with seeds
• Raw or lightly cooked vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, onions, corn, dark leafy greens and pickles or sauerkraut
• Cereals and grains like bran cereals, granola, brown or wild rice, whole-grain pasta, barley, quinoa and popcorn
• Breads made with whole-grain flour, raisins, nuts or seeds
• Desserts made with nuts, dried fruits and fruits with seeds
• Whole spices like peppercorns, cloves, anise seeds and fresh herbs
• Carbonated beverages

Tips for Following an Esophageal Soft Food Diet

While you’re on a soft food diet, Zumpano offers some additional advice:

• Pay attention to your fiber intake. Pick foods that contain less than 2 grams of fiber per serving. Once your symptoms resolve, begin to slowly add fiber-rich foods back into your diet. “Add one new food into your diet every two to three days to watch for gut upset,” suggests Zumpano.
• Focus on chewing. Chew all foods slowly to a mashed potato consistency. The more you chew your food, the easier it will be for your body to digest it.
• Take small bites of food and chew foods well.
• Sip fluids when taking solids at meals and snacks to moisten foods.
• Stop eating when you start to feel full.
• Eat slowly in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Eat throughout the day. Continue to eat every few hours during the day. You may feel more comfortable eating four to six meals daily rather than three large meals.
• Stay hydrated. Drink at least eight cups of fluid every day. “You can count pudding, ice cream, sherbet, frozen fruit pops, soup and gelatin as fluids,” says Zumpano.
• Choose decaffeinated coffee, tea, or caffeine-free soft drinks.
• Sit upright when eating.
• Remain in a sitting position for at least 45-60 minutes after eating.
• Try to avoid eating for 3 hours before bedtime.
• Eat small, frequent meals and snacks.

Pureed Foods Tips

Follow these recipes, or use them as inspiration to make your own. Be creative! You can puree almost any food. Take some time to make your food look nice, and try a variety of herbs and seasonings. Experiment and enjoy!

• Steps for Making Blenderized or Pureed Foods
  • Remove skins, seeds, pits, bones, tough membranes, and other inedible parts of foods.
  • Cut food into small pieces.
  • Cook food until soft. Already cooked food, such as canned fruits, vegetables or meats, and fish, do NOT need to be cooked more.
  • Add small amounts of liquid to food to thin it until it’s drinkable. You can:
    • Use warm milk to thin pureed macaroni and cheese, eggs, or potatoes.
    • Melt ice cream, sherbet, or gelatin and mix it with milk or fruit juice.
    • Use milk to thin pudding or strained yogurt.
    • Use fruit juice to thin pureed fruit.
• Look for naturally pureed foods! Some examples are:
  • Yogurt.
  • Mashed potatoes.
  • Applesauce.
  • Tomato soup.
  • Refried beans.
  • Pudding.
  • Hot cereal (cream of wheat, cream of rice, grits).
  • Ice cream.
  • Jello.
  • Hummus.

Pureed Foods Base Recipes

• Blenderized Meats

Try this recipe with any kind of meat, add vegetables and seasonings to make it more flavorful!

* ½ cup cooked meat or 1 jar baby strained meat* 6 tablespoons hot broth* Salt and pepper to taste

Place meat and broth in blender. Cover. Process on low speed until smooth. Add salt or seasonings to taste.

Read also: Managing Esophageal Varices with Diet

Nutritional Information (using chicken): 120 calories, 5 g total fat, 0 g total carbohydrate, 17 g protein per serving.

• Basic White Sauce

  • 1 cup whole, 2%, or fortified milk
  • 2 tablespoons of any kind of oil or butter
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour

Mix the flour and oil or butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the milk and boil for 1 minute, stirring non-stop . After a few minutes, it will begin to thicken. The more flour you add, the thicker the sauce will be.

• Basic Brown Sauce

Follow the Basic White Sauce recipe but use ⅔ cup of low-sodium beef or chicken broth instead of milk.

• Soups

Almost all canned or homemade soups can be pureed. Those that work best are potato soup, split pea, lentil, and bean and vegetable soups such as minestrone. Soups with chunks need to be strained before serving. You could also add protein powder, dry milk powder, milk, or cream when blending for more protein and creaminess.

Read also: Post-Banding Nutrition

Other Recipes

• Red Lentil Dal

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garam marsala
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 cup vegetable broth

Sauté onion until see through, add cumin until browned. Add stock, lentils, and remaining spices. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick. Puree with blender or in food processor until smooth.

• Spaghetti and Meatballs

  • ½ cup cooked spaghetti noodles
  • 2 meatballs
  • ½ cup spaghetti sauce
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • Parmesan cheese/nutritional yeast or other seasonings to taste.

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend well.

Nutritional Information: 340 calories, 13 g total fat, 36 g total carbohydrate, 19 g protein per serving.

• Chocolate Avocado Pudding

  • 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and cubed
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Dysphagia Diet Recommendations

A Dysphagia Diet is used for people who have difficulty swallowing. Foods on this diet are easier to chew and move around in your mouth. This will reduce the risk of food and liquids going the wrong way. Foods that are on mechanical soft diets are all made of moist and soft textures. Eating foods not allowed on this diet will increase your chance of swallowing problems and can result in food going into your airway (windpipe) instead of your esophagus (food tube). Food or liquid that goes into your airway instead of your stomach puts you at risk for not getting enough nutrition and getting sick (pneumonia).

• Recommended Foods:
  • Beverages/Liquids: Liquids should be the thickness recommended by your SLP or doctor: thin, nectar, or honey-thickened.
  • Starches, Breads, and Cereals: Pancakes or French Toast, well moistened with syrup. Well cooked, moistened, boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes. Oatmeal. Cold cereal moistened with milk. Moist macaroni and cheese/well-cooked pasta with meat sauce
  • Meats and Meat Substitutes: Moist, ground/finely diced meats, poultry, or fish (served with gravy or sauces). Poached, scrambled, or soft cooked eggs. Slightly mashed, moist legumes (baked beans). Tofu. Tuna or egg salads (without large chunks, celery, or onion)
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh, soft ripe bananas or soft drained, canned fruit without seeds or skin. Soft, cooked vegetables that are fork tender and diced to less than ½ inch
  • Desserts: Pudding, custard, apple sauce. Jello, sherbert, sorbet, ice cream. Cobblers without seeds/nuts and with soft breading or crumb mixture
• Foods to avoid:
  • Starches, Breads, and Cereals: Chips, dry breads/rolls, coarse cereals that include seeds/nuts
  • Meats and Meat Substitutes: Dry, tough meats (bacon, hot dogs, sausage), sandwiches, peanut butter
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Raw fruits and vegetables (no fresh, canned, or cooked pineapple), cooked corn or peas, broccoli, cabbage
  • Desserts: Dry, coarse cakes or cookies, rice or bread pudding, hard candies

Tips for Getting Enough Nutrition

• Try to eat from a variety of food groups, so your body gets the nutrients it needs.
• To make sure you get enough calories and protein, you may include liquid nutrition supplements, such as Ensure, Boost, or Carnation Instant Breakfast if they are thickened to the correct texture, if needed. “Plus” versions of these products provide the most calories and protein per serving.

tags: #esophageal #soft #diet #recipes