Full Liquid Diet: Foods, Diet Plan, After Surgery, vs. Clear Liquid (2024)

A full liquid diet includes liquid foods that are more nutritious than simple tea or broth. It’s helpful for preparing for or healing after a procedure or if you can’t eat solids. Examples include soup, milk, hot cereal, and juice.

You may have heard of a clear liquid diet, where you only drink things like water, tea, and broth. A full liquid diet is similar, but it includes all foods that are liquid or will turn to liquid at room temperature or melt at body temperature. It gives you more nutrition than a clear liquid diet. It also allows your body to heal from a procedure.

Your doctor may recommend a full liquid diet when you’re:

  • preparing for a test or medical procedure
  • recovering from a surgery, such as bariatric surgery
  • having difficulty swallowing or chewing

Most people will only need to follow a full liquid diet for short periods of time, such as five days to two weeks.

Here’s more about how this diet works, what you can eat, and other important considerations.

As mentioned above, you may eat foods that are liquid or turn liquid at room temperature on a full liquid diet. These foods contain little to no fiber or protein, so they give your digestive system a break.

You may need to eat more than the three standard meals a day to get in all your calories and nutrients on a full liquid diet. Try eating six to eight times throughout the day with a variety of liquids and strained or blended foods. To increase your caloric intake, incorporate full-fat dairy, such as butter or whole milk, or high-calorie supplement shakes.

A liquid multivitamin is another good option if you’re worried about getting full nutrition on this diet.

A day’s menu might include:

Breakfast

  • 1 cup of hot cereal (like Cream of Wheat) thinned with whole milk
  • 1/2 cup fruit juice

Morning snack

  • 1/2 cup supplement beverage, like Boost or Ensure
  • 1/2 cup custard-style yogurt

Lunch

  • 2 cups of soup
  • 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 1 cup chocolate pudding

Afternoon snack

  • 1/2 cup supplement beverage
  • 1/2 cup fruit juice

Dinner

  • 2 cups soup
  • 1/2 to 1 cup blended oatmeal thinned with milk
  • 1/2 cup lemonade

Evening snack

  • 1 cup supplement beverage
  • 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Compared to a clear liquid diet, there are a variety of foods you may eat on a full liquid diet.

Fruits and vegetables

  • all fruit or veggie juices (avoid pulp unless your doctor says otherwise)

Soups

  • bouillon
  • clear broths (beef, chicken, vegetable)
  • strained and pureed vegetable soup
  • strained meat- or cream-based soups (may contain pureed veggies or meat)

Dairy

  • all types of cow’s milk (whole, low-fat, reduced fat, fat-free)
  • lactose-free milk products, such as soy, almond, or flax milk
  • half-and-half
  • butter
  • sour cream
  • custard-style yogurts

Grains

  • Cream of Wheat
  • Cream of Rice
  • grits
  • other cooked cereals made from refined grains and thinned with milk

Fats

  • butter
  • margarine
  • mayonnaise
  • creamy peanut butter, or nut butter of choice

Beverages

  • coffee and tea
  • hot cocoa
  • artificially flavored fruit drinks
  • lemonade
  • sports drinks, like Gatorade
  • milkshakes (you may add smooth peanut butter or canned fruit, but blend until smooth)
  • pasteurized eggnog

Supplement beverages

  • Ensure
  • Boost
  • Carnation Instant Breakfast
  • Glucerna

Desserts

  • pudding
  • custard
  • gelatin
  • ice cream (plain varieties)
  • sherbet
  • popsicles
  • fruit ices

Other

  • sweeteners, such as honey, sugar, and maple syrup
  • salt
  • herbs, spices, and flavored syrups, like chocolate syrup
  • brewer’s yeast

Ask your doctor or dietitian about the following foods. They’re sometimes included in a full liquid diet, or as you get closer to resuming a more normal diet:

  • pureed fruits, such as applesauce
  • pureed vegetables diluted into soups, such as strained pumpkin puree in a cream soup
  • cooked cereals, such as oatmeal
  • pureed potatoes
  • strained, pureed meats

You should avoid any solid foods on a full liquid diet. This means to stay away from raw, cooked, or canned fruits or vegetables that have the skin or seeds.

Other foods to avoid include:

  • mashed fruits and vegetables, such as mashed avocado
  • nuts and seeds
  • hard and soft cheeses
  • soups with noodles, rice, or other chunks in it
  • ice cream with solids in it
  • bread
  • whole cereals and other grains
  • meats and meat substitutes
  • carbonated beverages, such as sparkling water and soda

People who have had stomach surgery may also want to avoid consuming orange and other acidic fruit and vegetable juices. These juices may cause burning. If you’re concerned about your vitamin C consumption, ask your doctor about liquid vitamin C supplements.

Your doctor may give you further diet instructions based on the procedure you had.

Your doctor is your best resource for what foods you should and shouldn’t eat on a full liquid diet. You can also work with a registered dietitian.

A registered dietician can help you plan your meals within the guidelines of a full liquid diet and tailor it to your specific needs. For example, some individuals may need to eat a special diet if they have diabetes. Others, who have had bariatric surgery, may need to avoid or limit certain foods on the full liquid diet for some time, such as sugar.

Here are some other considerations:

  • Pureed foods should be of stage 1, or “baby-food” consistency. There should be no chunks or visible pieces before mixing it into soups and other liquids.
  • Adding milk, water, salad dressings, and mayonnaise can help moisten foods for easier blending.
  • Feeling full is a sign to stop drinking. Pay attention to your body’s signals as you consume liquids. That said, try to get in at least 64 ounces of liquids each day.
  • Trouble drinking enough is also a concern. Try drinking what you can at 15 to 20 minute intervals throughout the day.
  • Nutritional supplements may be a good option if you need to be on a full liquid diet for longer than five days. Discuss your options with your doctor.
  • Specific menus and food ideas are also important things to discuss with your doctor or dietitian.
  • You may rapidly lose a significant amount of weight while following this type of diet. It’s meant to be used temporarily, not long term, unless directed by your doctor.
  • Experiencing fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are all reasons to call your doctor while following a full liquid diet. These may be signs of infection or other complications of your surgery or medical condition.
Full Liquid Diet: Foods, Diet Plan, After Surgery, vs. Clear Liquid (2024)

FAQs

Full Liquid Diet: Foods, Diet Plan, After Surgery, vs. Clear Liquid? ›

You may have heard of a clear liquid diet

clear liquid diet
These include water, broth, some juices without pulp, and plain gelatin. They may be colored, but they count as clear liquids if you can see through them. A food is considered a clear liquid when it partly or completely melts into a liquid you can see through at room temperature. You can't eat solid foods on this diet.
https://www.healthline.com › food-nutrition › clear-liquid-diet
, where you only drink things like water, tea, and broth. A full liquid diet is similar, but it includes all foods that are liquid or will turn to liquid at room temperature or melt at body temperature. It gives you more nutrition than a clear liquid diet.

What is the difference between clear fluid and full liquid diet? ›

Full liquids have more calories, protein, and nutrients than clear liquids. They can help meet your daily calorie and protein requirements. They are especially useful if you have a loss of appetite, vomiting, or weight loss. Full liquids include those that are easy to pour or can be sucked through a straw.

What is a primary difference between a clear liquid and a full liquid diet quizlet? ›

What is one difference between a clear liquid diet and a full liquid diet? A full liquid diet contains milk and milk products, whereas the clear liquid does not allow any dairy.

What foods are in a full liquid diet? ›

You may have these foods and drinks:
  • Water.
  • Fruit juices, including nectars and juices with pulp.
  • Butter, margarine, oil, cream, custard, and pudding.
  • Plain ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sherbet.
  • Fruit ices and popsicles.
  • Sugar, honey, and syrups.
  • Soup broth (bouillon, consommé, and strained cream soups, but no solids)
Jul 30, 2022

Why do you need a full liquid diet after surgery? ›

Your healthcare provider may prescribe a full liquid diet if you are recovering from an injury or illness that makes it hard for you to chew, swallow, or digest food. It may also be recommended after gastrointestinal surgery to heal you better. Full liquid diets are usually used for a few days and up to two weeks.

What foods are considered clear liquids? ›

The following items are often part of a clear liquid diet: Water, plain, carbonated or flavored. Fruit juices without pulp, such as apple or white grape juice. Fruit-flavored beverages, such as fruit punch or lemonade.

Are eggs on a full liquid diet? ›

Milk may be used in beverages such as eggnog*, milkshakes, malted milk, high protein milk and in cream soups. Eggs and Cheese * Do not use raw eggs, use custard, soft custard, or a commercial egg mixture that is pasteurized.

What is lacking only in a full liquid diet? ›

Liquid diets are typically low in vitamin A, iron, vitamin B-12, and thiamine. People who must eat a full liquid diet for extended periods may need to take supplements to prevent nutritional deficits. It is possible to get enough protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients on a full liquid diet.

What soups are full liquid diet? ›

Soups: Broth, bouillon, smooth tomato soup and strained cream soups.

Is applesauce a full liquid diet? ›

They're sometimes included in a full liquid diet, or as you get closer to resuming a more normal diet: pureed fruits, such as applesauce. pureed vegetables diluted into soups, such as strained pumpkin puree in a cream soup. cooked cereals, such as oatmeal.

Can you eat mashed potatoes on a full liquid diet? ›

Do not eat any foods that require chewing (including soft foods). Liquid foods do not include mashed foods, such as mashed potatoes. Do not eat those textures. Talk with your Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) regarding any questions you may have about your diet recommendations or your swallowing.

What foods are in the full diet? ›

Leafy green vegetables, tomato, cucumber, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, strawberries, apples, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, black beans, hummus, eggs, fish, chicken breast, turkey, salmon, tuna, shrimp, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, almonds, low-fat peanut butter, low-fat salad dressing, avocado, Fullbars, coffee, ...

Is applesauce considered a clear liquid? ›

No, applesauce is not clear or liquid. It is considered a soft food, according to Arnaout.

What is an example of a clear liquid? ›

Liquids that you can see through at room temperature (about 78-72 degrees Fahrenheit) are considered clear liquids. This includes clear juices, broths, hard candy, ices and gelatin.

What does "full liquids" mean? ›

A full liquid diet means a person eats no solid foods and only consumes liquids, such as soups, juices, and smoothies. Full liquids are different than clear liquids. On a clear liquid diet, a person can only have clear liquids, such as water, tea, and broth.

Can you have applesauce on a clear liquid diet? ›

Is applesauce OK for a clear liquid diet? No, applesauce is not clear or liquid. It is considered a soft food, according to Arnaout.

What is a clear liquid diet patient? ›

A clear liquid diet is a specific dietary plan that only includes liquids that are fully transparent at room temperature. Some items that may be allowed include water, ice, fruit juices without pulp, sports drinks, carbonated drinks, gelatin, tea, coffee, clear broths, and clear ice pops.

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