Foods You Can Eat

Foods to Avoid

• Water

• Coffee (regular or decaffeinated)

• Tea (hot or cold)

• Juice without pulp (strained so there are no chunks or pieces)

• Soda or fizzy drinks (carbonated)

• Beer, wine, or other alcohol drinks

• Milk

• Yogurt 

• Cottage cheese

• Cheeses including cheese sauce or melted cheese 

• Ice cream

• Nuts mixed in dairy foods

• Soft, ripe fruit, peeled and no seeds: bananas, avocado, mango, papaya, melon, peeled peaches, apples, pears

• Cooked fruit

• Canned fruit

• Pureed fruit (applesauce) 

• Smoothies blended well

• Hard, unripe, or crunchy fruit

• Fresh fruit with tough skins: oranges, mandarins, grapes, apple peels, pineapple 

• Whole berries 

• Dried fruits (raisins, dates)

• Soft, well-cooked - until they are soft enough that you can easily cut them with just a fork 

• Peeled carrots, squash, potato, sweet potato, asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower florets

• Blended or mashed vegetables

• Canned vegetables

• Vegetable juice

• Raw, hard vegetables 

• Salad greens (lettuce, spinach)

• Tough skins or husks (potato skins, corn)

• Stringy vegetables - even when cooked (celery, green beans)

• Smooth peanut and other nut butters

• Mashed beans or lentils

• Hummus

• Refried beans

• Tofu

• Whole or roughly chopped nuts and seeds 

• Chunky peanut and nut butters

• White, sourdough, whole wheat breads and toasts

• Soft breads like muffins, biscuits, soft tortillas 

• Hot cereals: Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, grits, polenta 

• Cold cereals (soft in milk): Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Bran Flakes, Shredded Wheat

• Pasta or noodles

• Rice: white, brown, wild (soft, well-cooked)

• Quinoa, barley, couscous 

• Pancakes, waffles 

• Crackers 

• Croutons 

• Bagels

• Breads, cereals, muffins with nuts, seeds or dried fruit

• Muesli, granola 

• Meat and poultry: Ground, shredded, tender, cooked until soft

• Fish (moist, flaky): Salmon, tuna, cod, tilapia

• Eggs: Scrambled, soft boiled, poached, fried, hard boiled

• Meat sauces and casseroles (Cut all ingredients into small pieces)

• Tough, chewy meats

• Chicken or turkey skins

• Fish with bones

• Hotdogs, sausage (Meats with casing – outer layer around the meat)

• Smooth soups (strained or pureed) 

• Cream soups 

• Broth, bouillon 

• Soups with soft, small pieces of: vegetables or meat, noodles, grains 

• Bean or lentil soup

• Soups with “Foods to Avoid”

• Plain cookies and cakes

• Pies made with soft foods or “Foods You Can Eat”

• Gelatin (Jell-O), pudding, custard, mousse

• Any dessert with nuts/seeds, or dried fruit

• Jams or jellies without seeds 

• Condiments: Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, gravies

• Dried herbs and spices

• Jams and jellies with seeds

• Popcorn 

• If you feel uncomfortable when you are full

• Bloating or vomiting with solid foods

• Belly pain or stomach hardness

• No bowel movement for 3 days