Patients assessed by doctors for a recovery diet should start by consuming a small amount of water and then gradually increase their intake from a clear liquid diet to a liquid diet, and finally to a soft diet. Patients can typically resume their normal diet in about 1-2 weeks. However, the specific type and duration of dietary progression may vary depending on the patient's individual adaptation.
Clear Liquid Diet
This diet type primarily provides water and contains only a small amount of calories and electrolytes. It is recommended for temporary use only due to its lack of essential nutrients. Examples include rice soup, juice without pulp, clear soup without oil, sports drinks, sugary beverages, oil-free chicken essence, and clear liquid supplements.
Full-Liquid Diet
Blend ingredients, such as chopped cooked vegetables, meat, porridge, and noodles, with an appropriate amount of lukewarm water in a blender until they reach a liquid consistency. Choose foods that are soft and easy to digest, for instance, blended chicken noodles, nutritious soups, and balanced formula oral supplements.
Semi-Liquid Diet
After chopping or grinding solid foods into small pieces, prepare them as a diet that can be swallowed with minimal chewing. Choose foods that are soft and easy to digest. Examples include smooth egg tofu porridge, finely shredded tilapia noodles, and soft minced meat porridge.
Soft Food
Based on a balanced diet, this diet provides foods that are soft, easy to chew, and easy to digest. It includes mild-tasting foods with balanced nutrition and avoids tough fibers, as shown in the following table:
Table of Low-Residue Food Selection
Food Categories
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Suitable Foods
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Avoid
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Dairy Products
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None
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Milk and all dairy products.
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Eggs
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Scrambled egg, steamed egg, egg drop soup
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Fried Egg,
Overcooked Braised Egg
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Meat, Fish
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Meat and fish with skin and tendons removed.
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Meats and fish with skin and tendons, deep-fried or pan-fried, and high-fat meats, such as streaky pork and pig knuckles.
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Soy Bean Products
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Processed and refined soy products, such as soy milk, tofu pudding, dried tofu, tofu skin, and dried bean curd strips.
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Fried bean products and unprocessed beans, such as fried gluten balls, fried tofu, and edamame.
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Vegetables
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Various types of strained vegetable juices, as well as peeled, deseeded tender melons and tender leafy vegetables.
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Vegetables with coarser fibers and those that are likely to cause gas, such as broccoli and onions.
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Fruits
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All types of strained fruit juices, as well as fruits with low fiber that are peeled and deseeded, such as papaya, bananas, grapes, and pears.
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Unstrained fruit juices and high-fiber fruits, such as pineapple, soursop, starfruit, as well as fruit preserves and jams with fruit chunks.
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Oils and Fats
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Various types of vegetable oils.
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Nuts and seeds, such as cashews, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and sesame seeds.
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Snacks
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Plain cake and sponge cake.
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Deep-fried pastries made with fruits and nuts, such as sachima and crispy pastries.
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