The soft diet is one of the eating routines that drags more mythology due, above all, to abundant mistakes regarding its composition. It should be clarified, in the first instance, that this is not directly related to foods that are necessarily tender or easy to chew. Given the case, in medicine the expression gastric protection diet tends to be used to avoid this type of misunderstanding.
Composition of the gastric protection diet
This type of diet is usually recommended by doctors and experts after having suffered any mild pathology of the digestive system, whether gastritis, ulcer, colic, intestinal virus or an episode of diarrhea and / or vomiting. Other uses are related to the palliation of dysphagia-difficulty swallowing problems, gastroesophageal reflux, digestive tract, maxillofacial surgery, or use of dental appliances.
In general, to follow the soft diet it is enough to take foods that are low in fat and light, in addition to taking products that do not provide excess fiber and help the body retain water. The objective, in short, is to nourish without excessively stimulating the generation of gastric acids.
In gastric protection diets, foods such as rice, pasta, white bread or cous cous are recommended. White meats -turkey or chicken- and white fish with light cooking such as boiled, grilled or baked are also good options. On the other hand, it is necessary to avoid the raw intake of any vegetable or fruit, although these can be taken cooked or in the form of puree or compote.
The issue of dairy is often controversial, as it generates a great disparity of opinions regarding its use in this type of procedure. The classic medical prescription opts for dairy preferably skimmed, either in the form of natural yogurt, cottage cheese or fresh cheeses in milk.
Other types of recommendations
In medical settings, the use of the soft or astringent diet is losing strength in favor of other less sacrificed options. Nowadays what is recommended is not to modify the usual routine by providing, if anything, a greater amount of liquids so that we can compensate for the losses caused by diarrhea or vomiting.
The normal thing when suffering from some type of pathology related to the digestive system is not wanting to eat, so a reduction in the amounts that are usually taken is an optimal choice, provided that the diet is enriched with liquids such as broths, juices or water. If the disease worsens, drinking serums can be purchased at any pharmacy that provide greater medical security than any isotonic drink or homemade preparation.