At this time of the year (Holiday season - from Christmas to New Year), a liquid diet means only one thing to some people. If you are one of them, please stop reading. If diet means health to you and a liquid diet is diet for regaining health, then read on.
Liquid diets are recommended when you have dysphagia (trouble swallowing food), digestive issues or you are preparing for colonoscopy. These are called Full liquid diet / Only liquid diet / Clear liquid diet. If you cannot chew solid food, or have open wounds or stitches in your mouth, you are put on a liquid diet.
After a C-section delivery, mothers are kept on a liquid diet. I am sure doctors (specially Obgyns) would know what diet to prescribe for their patents. Of course, Hospital nutritionists too would give them expert advice.
In old age, many lose their teeth or are unable to have solid food. Then, they need a liquid diet or a diet of semi-solid food. Liquidizing food in a blender is a great idea. All the nutrition remains (though you may lose on fibre) and it is highly edible and palatable.
But what do you do if you have a tonsillectomy or an adenoidectomy? What do you do if you have throat issues and cannot take your regular food. Even if you have any jaw problems, you will find it difficult to chew and eat solid food. You need a liquid diet.
Liquid diets were popularized by the weight loss industry. They came up with protein and other shakes. All you had to do was drink a couple of glasses (and avoid regular food) a day and you would begin to shed weight.
On Twitter, Rippled_calm @ruchiajain, and Anaesthesiologist, suggested these options:
- Tomato/ doodhi/ kaddu soup
- Blended masoor/ toor/moong daal
- Banana/ apple milk shake
- Sweet/ salted lassi
- Orange/ mosambi/ apple/ watermelon juice
- Haldi doodh
- Ukala/ tea/ coffee
- Nimbu pani
- Coconut water
- Papaya puree
- Sattu drink
- Raab
- Blended khichadi
Awesome list.
Raab - Bajri flour drink
Raab is a warm health drink made from pearl millet flour (bajra/bajri flour) with ginger and ajwain. Good to improve your gut, immunity, chest. It is served cold during summers.
Sattu drink/sharbat - Chana flour drink
Sattu is a protein-rich flour made from powdered chana (Bengal gram). A drink is made from it. I had it on the streets of Kolkata.
Some additional drinks:
Lauki juice
This was popularized by Baba Ramdev. Patanjali even sells bottled lauki juice (which is not a good idea)
Ash Gourd juice
Coconut water is a great drink. I have tried it for "fasting".
Vegetable juices
Carrot, Beets, Tomato, Spinach, Bottle Gourd, Ash Gourd, Karela, and practically any vegetable.
In Thakur Village there is a juice wallah who includes some 20 veggies in a juice, including ginger, amla, leafy greens.
V8 juice
V8 juice contains juices of Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress and spinach. It comes in cans and tetra packs.
Local brands too have many vegetable juices which come in 1 Litre tetra packs.
Ideally, we should make them ourselves. My daughter attended a workshop on juice therapy. She has/use to have juice every day.
Fruit Juices
Fruit juices are a boon and a bane. Boon -- so much of nutrition (vitamins and minerals) gets squeezed into a small glass. Bane -- so much of fructose, calories, and worst of all, loss of fibre. Ideally, we need to eat fruits, and avoid fruit juices.
When my daughter was in Jaslok hospital, she used to get a tall glass of Orange Juice every morning.
Many Americans drink Orange Juice in the morning every day. It is so popular that there is an abbreviation OJ for it!
Pomegranate juice
This is one of the healthiest juices according to me. I must have had at least 10 litres in the last 1 year! At Rs. 400 per litre, it is a bit expensive. But I believe it is totally worth it.
Pomegranate is a miracle fruit. Pomegranate juice is a miracle drink. It is an awesome drink for the gut. I have been facing dysbiosis (my own diagnosis) -- bad bacteria in the gut - and I brought it under control. My aunt is a surgeon in USA and she had told me that pomegranate juice gets rid of bad bacteria from the intestines.
Milk / Flavoured Milk
There is a movement against milk for the last 4 decades or so. But milk sales continue. Some regard milk as amrit, some regard it as poison. A few people have lactose intolerance and their stomach gets upset when they have milk. Luckily, Amul Lactose Free milk is available in plenty these days.
I am lactose sensitive (my own diagnosis -- also recommended by my gastroenterologist), so I avoid milk. Of course, I just cannot do without buttermilk. Not sure how much of the probiotics in it reach my intestines as I put chaas masala. Salt kills the probiotics (good bacteria) in the chaas.
Flavoured milk has been popular for at least 40 years. Energee flavoured milk drink has been around for at least 20 years. Problem: sugar. Good point: Convenience and taste.
Every day some new drink is flooding the market.
Lassi/Buttermilk
These are a must have with every meal. Buttermilk is better than lassi -- specially for the weight conscious.
Milkshakes
I think these are one of the most favourite drinks/beverages that people consume. You get them in so many outlets. You get them in tetra packs in almost every shop! Watchout as it has too much of Sugar.
You now get Rooh Afza Milk Shakes in 200 ml tetra packs for Rs.25.
Smoothies
Not really a fan of smoothies. Yes, the same issue -- loaded with sugar. Smoothies are basically version 2.0 of milkshakes. A thicker version.
There is a myth that you cannot mix fruits and milk. If that were true all smoothy shops would be closed by now.
Probiotic Drinks - Yakult
Yakult has 6.5 billion probiotics. The strain of bacteria: 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘪 strain Shirota (LcS). The bad part is that since this (6.5 billion probiotics) makes it highly sour, they put a lot of sugar to make it palatable.
Not sure if doctors recommend it in any condition. Most of us have sugar issues -- so Yakult is not a great idea. Of course, they have come up with a Lite version, with lesser sugar.
Soy Milk / Almond Milk / Oats Milk / Cashew Milk / Quinoa Milk /
As Vegans avoid milk, we now have Soy, Almond and Oats milk. Calling them milk is not correct -- but it is an accepted term today.
Almond milk is expensive. But you can easily make it at home. I think it is a nutrititious drink. However, badam milk that you get in packets would be loaded with sugar and preservatives.
Soy milk does not have more protein than milk. It is basically a milk substitute. Of course, do avoid the ones with added sugar. It is fairly expensive.
Oats milk is also for those who want to avoid regular milk. It is fairly expensive.
Kokum Sharbat / Kokum Kadhi
Kokum Kadhi is an awesome digestive/appetizer. Yes, it is confusing -- is it an appetizer or a digestive. It is both! (Indian hai -- toh aisa jugaad hoyga!) You can drink it before the meal -- it is an appetizer. Drink it after the meal -- it is a digestive.
I make an AWESOME (jhatpat/fatafat) sol kadhi with coconut milk and kokum juice (aagal/agal).
Kokum sharbat is a lovely drink to have with your meal or even otherwise.
Plant Milks / Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is mainly used in cooking.
When I was in Hong Kong, I had a tender coconut drink on the streets. It was awesome. Basically tender coconut with sugar and milk whipped up in a mixer.
Soups
When we talk of liquid diet -- to most of us we think of cold options. Hot options are soups. I think soups are the corner stone of liquid diets.
Soups are being heavily promoted on TV. Of course, they are no good -- specially nutritionally.
I do not have the patience to make a proper soup.
Semi-liquids / Soft foods
Soft food may be edible once your mouth is in a position to take semi-solid food.
Porridges / Khichadi / Pav Bhaji Bhaji
Khichadi is a popular Indian food staple. If required, it can be blended in a mixer to make it more edible.
Porridges are more popular abroad.
Pav Bhaji Bhai is the vegetable equivalent of khichdi. Fairly nutrititious. Semi-solid, so it can be easily eaten. Of course, one needs to reduce the spiciness.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Pureed Soups / Pureed Bhajis
Pureed sabjis are a great soft food idea. So are pureed soups.
Thank you for reading this entire blog. Hope you liked it.