Food Choice

• Drink 3 to 5 beverage servings (8 oz.) a day. You can drink coffee, tea, cocoa, soda, water and nutritional drinks such as Ensure. Choose 3 to 4 servings (1/2 cup) from the cereal group, which includes cream of wheat or rice, baby cereal and pureed potatoes or oatmeal. You can consume 2 to 4 daily servings (1/2 cup) of either juiced, pureed or strained vegetables. Servings (2 oz.) of meat can be fish, poultry or any cut of tender meat pureed. Eat 2 to 3 servings (1 cup) of broth cream or blended soups daily, as well as 3 to 5 servings (1 cup) of dairy, including milk, eggnog, powdered milk, milkshakes, plain yogurt or pudding. Deserts such as fruit ices, ice cream, sherbet, gelatin or frozen pudding pops are allowed; you can consume 1 to 2 servings (1/2 cup) daily, and your 2 to 3 daily servings (1 teaspoon) of sweets can include hard candy, sugar, honey or syrup. You can also mix 1 tbsp. of fats---butter, cream, margarine, oil or non-dairy creamer---with foods 2 to 3 times daily.
  
  

Sample Menu

• Daily menus can include 1/2 cup orange juice, 8 oz. whole milk, 1/2 cup cooked cream of wheat and a hot zero-calorie beverage for breakfast. A pureed banana can serve as your mid-morning snack. Lunch can consist of 6 oz. chicken broth, 8 oz. eggnog, 1/2 cup flavored gelatin and a hot noncaloric drink., and you can have 2 cups of custard for a mid-afternoon snack. For dinner, try 6 oz. vegetable broth, 1/2 cup apple juice, 1/2 cup ice cream and a hot noncaloric beverage. You can end the day with a pureed apple. Another variation can include 1 cup fruit juice, 1/2 cup hot cereal,and 1 cup hot tea with sugar and lemon for breakfast. Choose 3/4 cup soup, 1/2 cup custard, 8 oz. whole milk and 1/2 cup ice cream for both lunch and dinner.