Liquid Diet (Including High Calorie Tips) Your doctor and/or Registered Dietitian may recommend that you follow a liquid diet if you have trouble chewing or swallowing, if your stomach does not empty normally, if you have recently had a surgery, or for some other reason. Getting the nutrition you need every day can be a challenge on a liquid diet. The purpose of this handout is to help you continue to get the calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals that you need for healing and/or overall health while you are not eating solid foods. The good news is that any food may be eaten as long as it is liquefied, thinned, or blended with a blender (“blenderized”) and strained. The consistency should be thin enough to be sucked through a straw (even if you don’t use a straw). Note: We do not recommend any specific brands or sources. Examples are listed below. Blenderized Food You can add enough liquid to any food to achieve a pourable consistency. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: Use commercial soups as a base and add canned or frozen vegetables, meats, and cooked grains such as rice; blenderize.
Getting Enough Calories and Protein
Examples of Ready-Made Supplement
High Protein and Calorie Shakes The blender is your friend! Get creative with high calorie shakes and smoothies. Here are a few recipes to get your started. Calorie and protein amounts are listed per serving. Milk-Based Shakes You can substitute any of the following in place of milk: liquid nutritional supplements, soy milk, silken tofu, Lactaid® milk, or non-dairy creamers.
Yogurt and Nondairy Shakes Try using Greek yogurt for extra protein, or full-fat yogurt for extra calories.
Soups Add whole milk, evaporated milk, or heavy cream for extra calories
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