Foods You Can Eat Without Chewing (List of Soft Foods)

Food acts as fuel to the body. For some people food is life. But what about the people who can’t chew? Yes, many people cannot chew, including older people ( above the age of 95) or patients recovering from jaw surgery or root canal. In such a situation these people are suggested to follow a “no chew diet” or foods that you can eat without teeth.

But if you are wondering how you can eat foods without chewing then go through the full article to know about foods you can eat without chewing.

What Do You Mean By A ” No Chew Diet”?

If a person is going through any jaw surgery or if your teeth have fallen, in such a case it is recommended to rest your jaw and minimize chewing until you are capable enough to eat properly.

So in such a case moist and soft foods are recommended to the patients that they can easily consume without chewing. This list of soft foods includes soups, juices, milk, grind and mashed vegetables, fruits, etc.

Foods You Must Avoid While On A “No Chew” Diet!

While you are on a no-chew diet (soft foods), you must avoid eating certain food items like:

Fried non-veg items

If you are a hard-core nonveg lover then you are not allowed to eat fried non-veg dishes Including – fried fish, chicken, fried meat, fried eggs, or hard-boiled eggs.

Also, Avoid eating crunchy stuff like peanuts, chips, biscuits, or other hard solid items. Also if you are very fond of eating cheese then avoid eating hard cheese.

In the case of cereals avoid eating dry cereals and cereals that contain dry fruits and crunchy items. Don’t eat anything sweet or savory until it is properly soaked in milk tea or coffee. Also, people who have the habit of eating bread, donuts, bread rolls, muffins, toast, etc, then they need to stop eating them.

We are often advised to include more green vegetables in our diet be it raw vegetables, fried vegetables, or vegetables in the form of salad and fibrous vegetables, as they are very nutritious.

But these vegetables can be painful to chew if you are going through jaw surgery or a root canal. So it is highly recommended to avoid eating the above forms of vegetables while on a no chew diet.

Now that we know what foods we must avoid while on a no chew diet, let’s discuss the items we can eat guilt-free without chewing.

Foods you can eat without chewing:

Pureed finely mashed vegetables

As we just discussed that including vegetables in a diet is very important to complete the nutritional requirements of our body, vegetables are considered to be the most healthy option as they are locally grown.

But if you are on a no chew diet then it is recommended to consume vegetables in the puree (mash) form.

That means, the vegetables should be finely mashed, so that they are easy to swallow and don’t hurt your jaw.

Non Veg Items That You Can Include

For non-vegetarians, it’s very tough to give up on non-veg while on a no chew diet. But no worries we have options of non-veg dishes as well that you can consume without chewing.

These include – scrambled or runny eggs or moist pureed cooked meats. These dishes can be consumed easily and are also rich in protein.

Dairy Items

It is rightly said that dairy items are full of nutrition and come under the category of a balanced diet. Especially milk! Since milk is a liquid you can blindly have it while on a no chew diet.

Talking about other dairy products you can have are – yogurt, melted cheese including cottage cheese, or even ice cream. These items are extremely soft and can easily be consumed without using your teeth.

Cereals

Cereals play an important role in our diet especially if you are an Indian. As Indians among the three meals we eat are breakfast, lunch, and dinner we always include cereals in one of our meals ( e.g dal )

If you are wondering, can we eat cereal without chewing? The answer is yes you can!

You can consume porridge or semolina as it is very soft when prepared. Secondly, you can also go for the weetbix soaked well with milk. You can also eat other cereals like pasta, macaroni which when well cooked become very soft and easy to eat. You can also go for a moist rice pudding for dessert.

Fruits

Just like vegetables, fruits are also very important for our diet. Fruits are locally grown and contain natural sugar which also beats the craving of eating something sweet.

You can easily eat fruits in mashed form to consume them without chewing.

These include mashed bananas, apples, peaches, avocado, pear, or any other fruit in pureed form.

FAQ’S ( FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS )

Can we Eat vegetables and fruits without chewing?

Yes, you can eat vegetables and fruits without chewing if they are mashed properly or are in puree form.

However, it is advised to avoid raw fruits and vegetables while being on a no chew diet.

Being on a liquid Diet in case of no chewing is harmful to health?

Definitely not. If you want to eat and consume nutritious stuff without chewing then you can definitely go for soups and juices. They will fill your stomach and give you the nutrition that your body requires and is not harmful at all.

Do we have Indian options for foods we can eat without chewing?

Considering the Indian cuisine we have the maximum number of options to include for example- dal, rice pudding, etc.

Conclusion

Being on a no chew diet might sound very tough but after reading this article you must have an idea that there is a variety of foods you can eat without chewing.

Being on a liquid diet or consuming food items that are mashed or are in the form of puree, helps our body to digest it more quickly. It makes our stomach feel extremely light without making us feel hungry or starving.