Suggestions on What to Eat With a Liquid Diet

There are many reasons why a person might choose to embark on a liquid diet. Weight loss is a common reason, as well as tooth pain or jaw injuries. Regardless of the reason for a liquid diet, there are ways to stay healthy and meet nutritional goals during this time.

Juicing

The USDA dietary guidelines recommend that people consume 2.5 cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. Utilizing a juicer while on a liquid diet is a great way to ensure that all vitamin and mineral requirements are being met. There are a variety of home juicers currently on the market that allow for entire fruits and vegetables to be juiced with little to no prep work. Many of these machines are even capable of juicing green leafy vegetables, such as spinach or kale.

Those who cringe at the thought of drinking spinach or kale juice should consider juicing these vegetables along with apples, grapes or other fruits in order to add sweetness and additional flavor to the vegetable juice.

Protein

Purely liquid diets will often be lacking in protein. According to the USDA, women ages 19 to 30 should be consuming at least 46 grams of protein per day. Men and those with active lifestyles will require even more protein. These nutritional needs can be met by drinking milk, soy milk or almond milk while on a liquid diet. Commercially available protein powders are also a good way to easily increase protein intake. These powders are available in a wide variety of flavors and may even be a welcome treat for an individual limited to liquid sustenance.

Fiber

The biggest problem with liquid diets is the lack of dietary fiber. Inadequate consumption of fiber can cause constipation, hard stools, bloating and general discomfort. Powder fiber supplements---such as Metamucil, Benefiber or Fiber Sure---can be mixed into fruit or vegetable juices, protein shakes, coffee, tea or any other beverage. These supplements will help to keep a person regular and minimize discomfort. Another option is to add two tablespoons of cold-milled flax seeds to a protein shake. Flax seeds provide 4 grams of fiber in every two tablespoons. Buying the flax seeds labeled as cold-milled will ensure that you are buying ground flax seeds. These seeds have a strong flavor because of the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids they contain. These are the same fats found in salmon and fish oil supplements. When drinking flax seeds, mix them into a strongly flavored beverage and use a blender to blend the shake well in order to minimize the slightly unpleasant taste.