Foods for Liquid Diets

A liquid diet is a method of weight loss that either focuses on eliminating all solid foods from a diet or only allows partial consumption of some diet foods. If you are looking to lose weight in this manner it is important to know what kinds of options you have for your menu. People on a liquid diet do so for health issues or weight. Individuals who are extremely obese or those preparing for certain surgeries often turn to liquid diets as aids. The diets also are used to target a certain amount of rapid weight loss.

Juicing

One aspect of a liquid diet is referred to as juicing or juice fasting. This means that the individual is only consuming liquid drinks to lose weight. A good way to incorporate this option is to create fruit and vegetable juice drinks that can be made either in a blender or juicer. A selection of fruits or vegetables can be chopped and diced into cubes and placed into the blender or juicer with equal amounts of water or fruit juice. For example, if you are interested in a vegetable juice drink, you could include carrots, tomato, celery and avocado combined with a splash of V8 juice.

Purees and Broths

Purees can be a delicious and savory way to enjoy liquid foods. This can be in the form of soups, broths or desserts. Most foods can be turned into purees and flavored with the right seasonings and spices to make satisfying meals. For example, a potato puree can be made by boiling a few peeled and diced potatoes, and then placing through the blender for a puree. Light creams, parsley, salt, pepper and a low fat butter can be added in for intense flavoring. When preparing purees make sure to choose low-calorie and low-fat ingredients to stick to the diet.

Another way to make a satisfying meal for a liquid diet is to make broths. Broths are normally used as the base of other dishes, or combined into other meals to add moisture and flavor, but they are just as tasty as stand-alone dishes. A great broth to make is a chicken vegetable broth. This is done by taking a whole chicken, or chicken sections, and combining in a variety of raw vegetables. Some great vegetable selections include onions, celery, parsley, turnips, garlic, potatoes and mushrooms. Filling a stock pot with water and letting all of the ingredients simmer for several hours will produce a delicious broth. After straining the liquid, the broth can be served with a dollop of fat free sour cream or butter.

Success

Liquid diets may not be the answer for everyone. However, if you choose to pursue this method it's important to know all of your diet and nutrition requirements to ensure you get the best results. There is still a need for essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and protein. Regular balanced meals might be a good pairing for a liquid diet to maintain a healthy weight and still benefit the body with the vegetables and fruits that the liquid diet supplies.