Nursing Nutrition

NPO diet

• “nothing by mouth”, no food or water

• usually before diagnostic tests or surgery

• common after abdominal surgery until bowel sounds come back

Clear liquid diet

• common after surgery

• gelatin, hard candy, broth, coffee, tea, and popsicles

Full liquid diet

• after surgery and when client can tolerate more than a clear liquid diet

• ice cream, milk, pudding, fruit, and vegetable juice

Regular diet

• no restrictions

Soft diet

• for those with difficulty chewing and swallowing (dysphagia)

• food needs to be mashed or chopped like mashed potatoes

Thickened liquids

• fluids are thickened with a substance for those with difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)

• common for those with stroke/CVA

Fluid-restricted diet

• typically in those with heart failure or renal failure

• 1000 mL, 1500 mL, or 2000 mL maximum of fluids allowed per 24 hours

Renal diet

• low in fluids, electrolytes, and proteins

• body can’t get rid of extra water or toxins from breakdown of protein and electrolytes

Liver/hepatitis/cirrhosis diet

• low in protein (if ammonia levels are high) because the liver breaks down proteins

  • body can’t get rid of toxins from protein

Low purine/uric acid diet

• avoid purines with gout

• foods with purines are protein/meat, some fish, beer/wine, sweet breads

• can increase uric acid level and make gout worse

Cardiac diet

• low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium; high in fruits, veggies, whole-grains

Fat-restricted diet

• with malabsorption diseases like pancreatitis, gall bladder disease and GERD

• fat causes release of enzymes/bile that exacerbates disease

Diabetic diet

• low in sugar and carbs

Low fiber diet

• for inflammatory bowl disease (crohn’s and ulcerative colitis)

• low fiber prevents diarrhea

High fiber diet

• for constipation

High calorie, high protein

• for debilitating diseases like cancer, burns, and COPD

• they need the extra calories because their body burns off calories quickly (energy expended)

Sodium restricted diet

• for hypertension, heart failure, renal disease, heart disease

Gluten free diet

• celiac disease and gluten sensitivity

• no BROW: barley, rye, oats, wheat

• instead eat corn, rice or millet

Low tyramine diet

• avoid high tyramine foods when taking MAOIs (psych meds) and some tuberculosis meds

• tyramine foods are aged foods like aged cheese, smoked, cured or processed meat like sausage, coffee/tea (drinks with caffeine), soy sauce and beer/wine

• can cause a hypertensive crisis if taken together

Vegetarian diet

• no meat

Vegan diet

• plants only, no animal byproducts

Carbohydrates

• sugar and starches

• mostly grains: but also milk, fruits, vegetables

• whole grain carbs are good for health (ex. oats, brown rice)

• refined carbs are bad for health (ex. cookies, cake)

• too many refined carbs increases risk for heart disease and diabetes

Fats

• good fats: unsaturated (olive oil, nuts)

• bad fats: saturated (butter, fat from red meat)

• too many bad fats increases risk of cardiac disease

Proteins

• meat, dairy, beans, rice

• good for healing

Folic acid/folate

• a type of vitamin

• dark green leafy vegetables, meat, legumes, nuts, and eggs

• prevents neural tube defects and folate-deficiency anemia

• especially important in women trying for pregnancy

Vitamin C

• citrus fruits (oranges, orange juice), strawberries

• good for healing

Vitamin D

• fortified milk and cereals

• good for absorption of calcium

Vitamin K

• green leafy vegetables

• is the antidote to warfarin

Vitamin B12

• protein such as beef, liver, chicken, and fish

• dairy, eggs

• prevents B12-deficiency anemia

Calcium

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• collard greens, broccoli, kale, canned fish, dairy products like milk and cheese

• good for preventing osteoporosis

Sodium

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• “salty things,” bacon, canned food, processed food, table salt, bread, soy sauce

• low sodium for a cardiac diet

• too much sodium can lead to excess fluid in body (fluid volume overload)

Magnesium

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• avocado, nuts, legumes, tofu

• good for muscle and nerve function

Potassium

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• bananas, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach

• need low potassium for a renal diet (can’t excrete from kidneys)

• good for cardiac and muscle function

Phosphorus

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• meat, dairy, nuts

• good for bone/teeth formation, and for making proteins

Iron

• this is an electrolyte/mineral category

• meats, lentils/beans, egg yolks, spinach, dried fruit

• good for preventing iron-deficiency anemia

• eat with vitamin C for better absorption (orange juice and strawberries, etc)

Cross-sensitivity to latex

• banana, avocado, kiwi, papaya, fig, potato, tomato