what is a mechanical soft diet

A mechanical soft diet is a texture-modified diet designed for people who have difficulty chewing and swallowing solid foods. The foods in this diet are soft, easy to eat, and do not require a lot of chewing to swallow safely. The diet includes chopped, ground, and pureed foods, as well as foods that break apart without a knife. The foods can be blended, mashed, pureed, or chopped using a kitchen tool such as a knife, a grinder, a blender, or a food processor. These processes break down the structure of foods to make them soft and easy to eat without biting or chewing. The mechanical soft diet can include all major food groups, such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables, protein-rich foods, and starches and grains. However, some foods are allowed while others are avoided. For example, soft bread, moist white rice, and soft pasta are allowed, while hard cheese cubes and slices, yogurt with nuts or granola, and cold coarse cereals with whole nuts or seeds are avoided. The goal of the mechanical soft diet is to provide a balanced diet with adequate amounts of protein and calories for people who have trouble chewing.