2. • Regular Diet
• Dudek explains that regular diets, also called
normal or house diets, are used to maintain or
achieve the highest level of nutrition in patients
who do not have special needs related to illness
or injury. While regular diets do not have portion
or choice restrictions, they are altered to meet
the needs of the patient’s age, condition and
personal beliefs. For example, a pregnant woman
may require more calories and different nutrients
than a young child would need.
3. • Liquid Diets
• The three types of liquid diets are clear liquid, full
liquid and pureed, according to “Fundamentals of
Nursing” by Carol Taylor. Doctors typically prescribe
liquid diets as a transitional diet after illness or surgery.
Clear liquid diets include water, broth, clear juices such
as apple or grape, popsicles and gelatin. Full liquid
diets allow all the liquids in a clear liquid diet plus
thicker fluids such as milk, pudding and vegetable
juices. A pureed diet allows all foods as long as they are
converted to a liquid form in a blender.
4. • Soft Diets
• Soft diets transition patients from a liquid diet to
a regular diet. Patients prescribed a soft diet are
restricted to foods that can be mashed with a
fork. This includes cooked fruits and vegetables,
bananas, soft eggs and tender meats. A
mechanical soft diet allows most foods as long as
they can be chopped, ground, mashed or pureed
to a soft texture. This excludes most raw fruits
and vegetables or foods containing seeds and
dried fruits.
5. • Restricted Diets
• Restricted diets encompass a variety of special diets
that limit the amount of calories, fat, salt and other
substances based on the patient’s medical needs. For
example, a restricted-fat diet allows only low-fat
versions of milk, cheese, cereal and ice cream but does
not place limits on the amount of fresh fruits and
vegetables a patient may consume, according to
“Fundamentals of Nursing.” A restricted diet can also
modify the other types of diets. For example, a post-
operative patient with heart disease may be prescribed
a low-fat full liquid diet.
6. • Therapeutic Diets
• Dudek explains that physicians use therapeutic
diets to treat disease or illness. Like restricted
diets, they can also be used to modify another
type of hospital diet. Types of therapeutic diets
include modification of calorie intake, such as
with patients that need a high calorie diet to
promote weight gain; modification of certain
nutrients including protein and carbohydrates; or
diets that encourage an increased fluid intake.
