A full liquid diet consists exclusively of liquids and foods that are liquid at room temperature. This diet is typically recommended for short periods, ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks, but can be longer if recommended and monitored by your healthcare professional. When adhering to this diet, it's crucial to consume only items that are liquid to ensure proper healing and swallow safety, especially after certain medical procedures.
Understanding the Full Liquid Diet
According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), a full liquid diet includes any foods that are liquid or will become liquid at body temperature. This means that the diet includes liquid foods that are more nutritious than simple tea or broth. Examples include soup, milk, hot cereal, and juice. A full liquid diet is similar to a clear liquid diet, but it includes all foods that are liquid or will turn to liquid at room temperature or melt at body temperature.
Why a Full Liquid Diet?
Your doctor may recommend a full liquid diet in several situations:
- Preparing for a test or medical procedure: A full liquid diet can help clear the digestive system before certain medical tests.
- Recovering from surgery: After surgeries, such as bariatric surgery, or any surgery requiring an incision inside the mouth, the full liquid diet is recommended for 10-14 days after surgery. The diet allows the digestive system to recover without the strain of digesting solid foods. It is recommended if your mouth, neck, or throat muscles are not ready to swallow solid textures.
- Having difficulty swallowing or chewing: Conditions that impair swallowing or chewing may necessitate a full liquid diet to ensure adequate nutrition. If you are prescribed this diet for dysphagia (swallowing problems), your speech pathologist will give you more specific guidelines.
- After cleft palate repair, pharyngeal flap, LeFort 1/III advancements, fractured jaw repair
Allowed Foods and Beverages
A full liquid diet offers a variety of options to maintain nutrition while adhering to its restrictions. Here's a detailed list of recommended items:
- Water: Essential for hydration.
- Fruit juices and nectars: Provide vitamins and natural sugars. You can include fruit juices, including nectars and juices with pulp.
- Milk: All types of cow’s milk (whole, low-fat, reduced-fat, fat-free) and lactose-free milk products, such as soy, almond, or flax milk.
- Plain ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sherbet: Offer a source of calories and can be soothing. Flavored ice cream/ ice milk.
- Fruit ices and popsicles: A refreshing option for hydration and a bit of sweetness.
- Milkshakes: A good way to add calories and nutrients, but must be blended smooth. You may add smooth peanut butter or canned fruit, but blend until smooth.
- Broth or strained creamy soups: Provide essential nutrients and are easy to digest. Pureed broth soups and strained cream soups.
- Vegetable juices: Offer vitamins and minerals.
- Sodas: Such as ginger ale and Sprite.
- Gelatin (Jell-O): A light and সহজে digestible option. Melted gelatin.
- Boost, Ensure, Resource, and other liquid supplements: Ensure adequate nutrient intake, especially when on the diet for an extended period.
- Tea or coffee: Can be consumed with cream, milk, sugar, and honey.
- Butter, margarine, oil, cream, custard, and pudding
- Sugar, honey, and syrups
You can also ask your health care provider or dietitian if you can include these foods in your full liquid diet:
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- Cooked, refined cereals, such as cream of rice, oatmeal, grits, or farina (Cream of Wheat)
- Strained meats, like the ones in baby food
- Potatoes pureed in soup
Foods to Avoid
It is important to only eat or drink the items listed above to avoid complications with your healing or swallow safety. When on a full liquid diet, it’s crucial to avoid any foods that require chewing, including soft foods. Liquid foods do not include mashed foods, such as mashed potatoes or avocado.
Here’s a list of foods to avoid:
- Any solid foods
- Raw, cooked, or canned fruits or vegetables that have the skin or seeds
- Mashed fruits and vegetables, such as mashed avocado
- Nuts and seeds
- Hard and soft cheeses
- Soups with noodles, rice, or other chunks in it
- Ice cream with solids in it
- Bread
- Whole cereals and other grains
- Meats and meat substitutes
- Carbonated beverages, such as sparkling water and soda
People who have had stomach surgery may also want to avoid consuming oranges and other acidic fruit and vegetable juices, as these juices may cause burning.
Sample Menu
To ensure you receive adequate nutrition, consider this sample full liquid diet menu:
- Breakfast: 1 cup of hot cereal (like Cream of Wheat) thinned with whole milk, 1/2 cup fruit juice
- Morning snack: 1/2 cup supplement beverage, like Boost or Ensure, 1/2 cup custard-style yogurt
- Lunch: 2 cups of soup, 1/2 cup tomato juice, 1 cup chocolate pudding
- Afternoon snack: 1/2 cup supplement beverage, 1/2 cup fruit juice
- Dinner: 2 cups soup, 1/2 to 1 cup blended oatmeal thinned with milk, 1/2 cup lemonade
- Evening snack: 1 cup supplement beverage, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
Tips for Following a Full Liquid Diet
- Eat frequently: You may need to eat more than the three standard meals a day to get in all your calories and nutrients. Try eating six to eight times throughout the day with a variety of liquids and strained or blended foods.
- Increase caloric intake: Incorporate full-fat dairy, such as butter or whole milk, or high calorie supplement shakes.
- Consider a liquid multivitamin: A liquid multivitamin is another good option if you’re worried about getting full nutrition on this diet.
- Puree foods thoroughly: Pureed foods should be of stage 1 or “baby food” consistency. Before mixing them into soups and other liquids, there should be no chunks or visible pieces. Adding milk, water, salad dressings, and mayonnaise can help moisten foods for easier blending.
- Pay attention to your body’s signals: Feeling full is a sign to stop drinking. That said, try to get in at least 64 ounces of liquids each day.
- Drink frequently: Trouble drinking enough is also a concern. Try drinking what you can at 15-to 20-minute intervals throughout the day.
- Consider nutritional supplements: Nutritional supplements may be a good option if you need to be on a full-liquid diet for longer than five days. Discuss your options with your doctor.
Nutritional Considerations
While a full liquid diet can provide enough energy, protein, and fat, it often lacks sufficient fiber and certain vitamins and minerals. Therefore, your healthcare provider may recommend specific vitamins and supplements to address these deficiencies. For most people on a full liquid diet, the goal is to get 1,350 to 1,500 calories and 45 grams of protein a day.
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If you need to be on a full liquid diet for a long time, you will need to be under the care of a dietitian. Ask your provider if you can eat these foods together to add calories:
- Nonfat dry milk added to your drinks
- Protein powders or liquid or powdered egg whites added to drinks
- Instant breakfast powder added to milk, puddings, custards, and milkshakes
- Strained meats (like the ones in baby food) added to broths
- Butter or margarine added to hot cereal and soups
- Sugar or syrup added to beverages
For children who are on a liquid diet for more than 2 to 3 days, increasing calories and protein is important. You can make “double strength” or “high protein” milk by adding one cup of dried skim milk powder to one quart of fluid whole milk. Mix well and chill overnight before using. Use this milk to drink and in place of regular milk for all food preparation. You can also add powdered milk to foods.
Potential Risks and Precautions
- Weight loss: You may lose weight rapidly while following this type of diet. It’s meant to be used temporarily, not long term, unless directed by your healthcare professional.
- Gastrointestinal issues: Experiencing fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are all reasons to contact your healthcare professional.
Consulting Healthcare Professionals
Your doctor is your best resource for what foods you should and shouldn’t eat on a full liquid diet. You can also work with a registered dietitian. A registered dietitian can help you plan your meals within the guidelines of a full-liquid diet and tailor your diet to your specific needs. For example, you may need to eat a special diet if you have diabetes. People who have had bariatric surgery may need to avoid or limit certain foods, such as sugar, on the full liquid diet for some time.
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