Full Liquid Diet Menu List (Printable PDF)

Full Liquid Diet Menu List

There are two kinds of liquid diets that you may need to follow before or after a medical procedure: clear and full-liquid diets.

While it can be restrictive to cut out solids, there are still a variety of liquid diet foods to include in your meals.

On a clear liquid diet, you may consume broth, coffee, tea, water, and other transparent liquids that leave no residue in the digestive system.

A full liquid diet menu includes not only clear liquids but also those that are or become liquid at room or body temperature, offering more nutritional variety.

A full liquid diet offers more than a clear liquid diet. It also allows your body to recover from a medical examination or procedure. Your physician may recommend a liquid diet:

  1. After breaking bones in the jaw or mouth.
  2. After a gastrointestinal operation.
  3. Following dental surgery as an intermediary between clear liquids and soft foods.
  4. Following the loss of several teeth.
  5. To ease the symptoms of a digestive disease.
  6. When a doctor or dentist wires the jaw shut.
  7. When recuperating from pancreatitis.

Most people only need to follow liquid diets for short periods, between five to 14 days. Let’s look at how the diet works and what you can and can’t eat on both liquid diets.

How Does a Liquid Diet Work?

As illustrated above, you can eat liquid foods or become liquid at room temperature on an entirely liquid diet. These foods comprise little to no fiber, making it easy for your digestive tract.

You might need to take more than the three usual meals daily to get in all your calories and nutrients on a completely liquid diet.

Instead, try taking food six to eight times daily with various blended or strained foods and liquids.

To boost your caloric intake, include full-fat dairies such as butter, high-calorie supplement shakes, or whole milk.

A liquid multivitamin is another incredible option if you’re worried about getting complete nutrition on this diet.

What Can You Take On a Full Liquid Diet?

Liquid Diet Food List

Liquid Diet Food List

Milk Alternatives

If you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, you can still get the energy-promoting benefits of liquid dairy products by taking milk alternatives instead.

In addition, some of these liquids can be significant sources of additional nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D.

Milk alternatives include:

  1. Almond milk
  2. Cashew milk
  3. Coconut milk
  4. Hemp milk
  5. Oat milk
  6. Rice milk
  7. Soy milk

Nutrition Supplement Drinks

Add nutrients to your liquid diet, especially proteins, by consuming nutrition supplement beverages. Some of the nutrition supplement beverages you can take include

  1. Boost
  2. Ensure
  3. Resource

Oils

Add useful calories, fat, and flavor to all your meals with the help of oils. According to some health professionals, a liquid diet allows nutritious oils such as:

  1. Avocado oil
  2. Canola oil
  3. Cashew oil
  4. Corn oil
  5. Olive oil
  6. Soybean oil
  7. Sunflower oil

Soft Dairy Products

Soft dairy products include:

  1. Butter
  2. Ice Cream
  3. Milk
  4. Milkshakes
  5. Sour cream
  6. Yogurt

Soft Grains

In specific instances, your physician may allow you to eat mushy grain foods while on a liquid diet. Some of these delicacies include:

  1. Cooked and refined cereals such as cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
  2. Pureed foods such as potatoes.
  3. Strained meats.

Ensure that your healthcare provider grants you the go-ahead before taking these foods. The reason is that not all liquid diets permit these foods.

Soups

  1. Beef, bone, chicken, or vegetable soups.
  2. Cream soups.
  3. Pureed vegetable soups.

What Can You Take On a Clear Liquid Diet?

Broth

Drink clear and fat-free broth or bullion for calories and taste. Avoid cloudy or creamy broths on a clear liquid diet, as they can leave residues in your digestive system that are not desired before certain medical procedures.

Coffee or Tea

Get your caffeine fix when you’re on a clear liquid diet by taking black coffee or tea.

If you’re prone to heartburn or stomach upsets, it’s advisable to avoid caffeinated beverages, as they may exacerbate these conditions.

Pulp-Free Fruit Juice

  1. Apple juice
  2. Lemonade
  3. White cranberry juice
  4. White grape juice

Sports Drinks

Dehydration is a risk before a colonoscopy due to significant fluid and electrolyte loss during the pre-colonoscopy laxative preparation.

However, when you take sports drinks, you can rehydrate and replenish any lost electrolytes.

Foods to Avoid on both Full and Clear Liquid Diets

It would be best to avoid solid foods while on a clear or full-liquid diet. This means avoiding canned, cooked, or raw fruits or vegetables with seeds or skin.

Other foods you should avoid while on both these diets include:

  1. Bread
  2. Carbonated beverages such as soda and sparkling water.
  3. Hard and soft cheeses.
  4. Ice cream with solids inside.
  5. Mashed fruits and vegetables such as avocado or mangoes
  6. Meat and meat substitutes.
  7. Nuts and seeds.
  8. Soups with noodles, rice, or other kinds of chunks.
  9. Whole grains and other cereals.

Individuals recovering from stomach surgery should avoid acidic juices, such as orange juice, which can cause discomfort; consult your physician about suitable alternatives.

Such juices can cause burning, so consult your physician about liquid vitamin C supplements if you’re concerned about your vitamin C intake.

Final Thought

Your doctor may prescribe a liquid-only diet if you are recovering from an injury or illness that makes it hard to chew, swallow, or digest food.

Talk to your doctor if you are having trouble maintaining your liquid-only diet.

Foods to Eat On The Full Liquid DietFoods to limit on the Clear and Full Liquid Diets
Milk Alternatives: Almond milk, Cashew milk, Coconut milk, Hemp milk, Oat milk, Rice milk and Soy milk
Bread
Nutrition Supplement Drinks: Boost, Ensure and Resource
Carbonated beverages such as soda and sparkling water.
Oils: Avocado oil, Canola oil, Cashew oil, Corn oil, Olive oil, Soybean oil and Sunflower oil
Hard and soft cheeses.
Soft Dairy Products: Butter, Ice Cream, Milk, Milkshakes, Sour cream and Yogurt
Ice cream with solids inside.
Soft GrainsMashed fruits and vegetables such as avocado or mangoes
Soups: Beef, bone, chicken, or vegetable soups, Cream soups and Pureed vegetable soups.
Meat and meat substitutes.
Nuts and seeds.
Soups with noodles, rice, or other kinds of chunks.
Whole grains and other cereals.
Foods to Eat On The Clear Liquid Diet
Broth
Coffee or Tea
Pulp-Free Fruit Juice: Apple juice, Lemonade, White cranberry juice and White grape juice
Sports Drinks

See Also

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