Low Carb Soft Food Ideas – Diabetes Diet for after Dental Surgery

My husband recently had to adapt to a soft diet due to dental surgery, and he’s also dealing with diabetes. The task of meal planning in such a situation is challenging. Many soft foods tend to be high in carbohydrates, which isn’t ideal for someone with diabetes. Our dentist provided us with a list of soft food suggestions, but unfortunately, they’re not suitable for diabetics. If you’re searching for a comprehensive list of food ideas that are not only easy to consume without teeth but also diabetes friendly, you’ve come to the right place!

1. Opt for Soft Foods Low in Carbohydrates

To start, we’ve curated a collection of soft foods that are low in carbohydrates, making them suitable for both meals and snacks. I’ll detail these recommended foods below, and you can also find them featured in the accompanying image.

2. Increase Your Options with Blending and Chopping

Our second solution involves preparing wholesome homemade meals or selecting low-carb pre-packaged options and processing them in a food chopper or blender. While it is a bit more preparation, this approach significantly expands the range of choices available. If you anticipate needing to consume soft foods for an extended period, I highly recommend investing in a food chopper and/or blender. They offer endless possibilities for creating meals that are both nourishing and easy to eat. If you’re in the market for a food chopper, consider a compact option like the Hamilton Beach Mini Food Processor; it’s perfectly sized for preparing a single meal.

List of Soft Foods good for people with Diabetes

Whether your need for soft foods is due to ongoing dental issues or a temporary dietary adjustment following wisdom teeth extraction or dental implants, I hope this list will assist you in planning nutritious and diabetes-friendly meals.

Soft Low Carb Food Ideas

Hummus

Made from chickpeas, this is a healthly snack. It’s low in carbs.  A serving size of 71 grams only has a net 8 carbs (11 carbs total minus 3 grams of fiber).  This popular vegetarian food is available at most grocery stores, but sometimes can be expensive.  We like to buy this at Costco, which usually has several flavors and costs less than other stores.  If you have a food processor, it’s a food you may want to make at home to save costs.  See this “Real Hummus recipe.”

Cauliflower

Cauliflower, a versatile vegetable that transforms into a delightful soft texture when cooked, has garnered significant attention as of late. One of its most notable transformations is into “riced cauliflower,” which has gained popularity as a healthier alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. Impressively, a mere cup of riced cauliflower contains just 2 grams of carbohydrates, making it a superb choice for those mindful of their carb intake.

You can procure fresh cauliflower, boil it to perfection, and then mash it into a creamy consistency. Alternatively, you may opt for the convenience of frozen cauliflower, often available in stores pre-packaged as “Riced cauliflower.” For an ideal mashed potato substitute, consider cooking it slightly longer than the package recommends, allowing the “rice” to effortlessly transition into a velvety “mashed” texture. Elevate the flavor by incorporating a delectable cheese sauce or your preferred seasonings, transforming this dish into a delectable and health-conscious alternative to mashed potatoes. To make it a wholesome meal, consider dicing and incorporating your choice of protein, such as ground beef, for a complete and satisfying dinner. Beyond its carb-friendly nature, cauliflower also offers an array of health benefits, boasting rich stores of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall well-being and vitality.

Cottage Cheese

If you like cheese, try cottage cheese for a soft food.  It’s low in carbs and high in protein.  We often mix in seasonings, hot sauce, ketchup, etc.  Some people like it with fruit – but you’ll likely need to blend fruit first to keep this an easy to eat snack, and keep in mind that fruit has sugar in it, which will raise the total carb count.  So, if you can find a savory flavor you like to add instead, that might be better.

Tuna

Mix with mayonnaise for a soft meal! Chunk light tuna has less mercury than albacore. We’ve been enjoying flavored tuna that comes in ready to eat packages by StarKist and Bumble Bee.  Amazon has a good variety and sometimes cheaper prices than in the grocery store, especially when buying a case at a time — I like to be well stocked in case of an emergency so this appeals to me 🙂   My favorite flavor is the StarKist Hickory Smoked Tuna. This tuna is advertised as a high protein on the go snack, and it is a great choice for a low carb diet.

Yogurt (Greek, Plain, or Low sugar)

Yogurt can have a lot of sugar in it, so always read the nutrition label when buying. We’ve found that we can enjoy yogurt while keeping the sugar content low by purchasing plain greek yogurt and then mixing in a little honey or jam to sweeten it just enough. Yogurt is excellent for “gut health” as it has living bacteria that’s good for you! Learn more about probiotics in yogurt and why yogurt is good for you.

Eggs

One large egg has virtually no carbs (less than a gram), while it contains 6 grams of protein.  I’ve found that a diet high in protein helps keep my blood glucose more stable.  Scrambled eggs are easy to make, and can be served with ketchup!

Buy a dozen eggs, because there are many ways to serve them!  We like to cook them hard boiled and then mash them up, into an “egg salad” consistency.  To keep it soft, we do egg salad without the hard onion.  Instead, we use onion powder, and other spices like garlic, mesquite spicing, etc.  Mix with mayo and a bit of mustard!  Add salt and pepper, or try a low or no salt seasoning.

Avocados or Guacamole

Avocados are rich in fiber and oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat that is good for your heart!   Many people eat guacamole as a snack food with potato chips, but this isn’t necessary.  It can be eaten all on its own, or used on bread instead of butter.  Of course, bread is going to increase the carb count, and bread is not necessarily soft… So you may need to brainstorm a way to make avocados a part of your diet!  I consider them to be a good breakfast food.  I like eating slices of avocado with my eggs.  Read more about the health benefits of avocados here or follow a guacamole recipe.

Fish

Do you like fish?  Often it is soft enough that it can be eaten after some good fork mashing.   If the fish is breaded or has a panko coating, then there is some carbs, but may not be a high count depending on the recipe.

Refried Beans

The grocery store sells canned beans in several different ways (for example: baked beans, chili beans), but refried beans are the easiest choice for a soft food diet.  Add some melted cheese, salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream!   They aren’t carb free, but they are high in fiber, making the net carb count low (when counting carbs, subtract the fiber from the total carb count).

Keto Pancakes

I bet you are surprised to see pancakes on this list! I sure was happy to discover Birch Bender’s Keto Carb-Friendly Pancake mix. This pancake mix uses almond flour and is low in carbs. Baked goods containing almond flour are a great alternative to traditional recipes. You can also make almond flour blueberry muffins.

Expand your meal possibilities by chopping up food.

What do you love to eat?   Can you chop it up?

Basically the trick to a meal “chopping up well” is

1) cutting it up into small portions prior to running it through a food chopper

2) adding water OR sauce if necessary.

Add enough water, and anything will chop up.  But the texture may not always be ideal!

It’s probably going to be a process of trial and error for you.  I recommend trying a 3 or 4 cup mini food processor like this best selling Cuisinart mini food processor. The small size is perfect for an individual meal.

Soft Food Recipes

• Creamy Broccoli Ginger Soup
• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Creamy Vegetarian Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup Recipe