Routine Hospital Diets

Regular Diet

The most frequently ordered among the house diet (general diet, full hospital diet)

Soft Diet

A regular diet modified in consistency and texture

Light Diet

Referred to as the soft diet

Mechanical Soft Diet

also called soft diet

Cold Liquid Diet

Referred to as the T & A diet

• Tonsillectomy Adenectomy Diet

• Consist of cold smooth liquids

Full Liquid Diet

Transition between clear liquid to solid foods

Tube feedings

Maybe normal diets, commercial or semi-commercial preparations requiring a consistency that can pass through a polyvinyl tube

Dysphagia diets

Requires alteration in food texture, fluid viscosity/consistency, incorporation of high protein, high energy recommendations as necessary, and use of alternative feeding routes

Vegetarian dets

Also called the total vegetarian diet

Vegan diet

Strict or total vegetarian diet

Lacto-vegetarian

Milk and its products are allowed in the diet

Ovo-vegetarian

egg and egg products are allowed in the diet

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian

milk and eggs are included in the diet

Semi-vegetarian

fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetables, milk and milk products, eggs, chicken, and fish

Pesco-vegetarian

Fish and fish products are included in the diet

Diet as tolerated or D.A.T.

A type of diet that need not last for more than one day once ordered immediate interview of the patient is necessary, dietary regimen may vary from full liquid to regular diet dependent on the discretion of the dietitian

Fecal fat determination test

A test that measures fat globules in the feces

• Consists of at least 100 gm fat ingested daily for 3 days before fecal specimen is collected (2 cups whole milk, 8 oz lean meat, 1 egg, 10 x fat)

Meat-free test

• Determine gastrointestinal bleeding

• Meat, fish, and poultry are excluded for 3 days

Calcium test

• Used to determine urinary calcium excretion

• 1000 mg Ca (400 mg from food; 600 mg from oral supplementation of calcium gluconate)

Serotonin test diet

Used to diagnose carcinoid tumors of the intestinal tract.

• Serotonin is excluded