Full Liquid Diet
Full liquid diets are often used as a step between clear liquids and solid foods. Some patients will
need to remain on this diet for a longer period of time. This diet meets your calorie and protein
needs using liquids only. A full liquid diet will make you feel full due to the volume of liquids
you will be eating.
Liquid supplements such as Ensure®, Boost® or similar products can improve the nutritional
value of a liquid diet. These can be found at your local pharmacy or grocery store. They taste
better when chilled and served over ice or mixed with other liquids.
Foods Allowed on a Full Liquid Diet
Food Category
Foods Allowed
Cereals
Cream of wheat, cream of rice, and other cooked
cereals made with refined grains
Blended or pureed oatmeal and other blended
whole grain cereals
Fruits and vegetables
All juices and nectars
Pureed fruits
Pureed vegetables diluted in soups
Mashed potatoes diluted in cream soup
No fruits or vegetables with skins or seeds
Milk
All types of milk (whole, low-fat, reduced-fat, or
fat-free; use lactose free products if you are lactose
intolerant)
Half-and-half (use to boost calories)
Foods Allowed on a Full Liquid Diet (continued)
Food Category
Foods Allowed
Soups
Bouillon
Clear beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
Strained, pureed vegetable soup
Strained, meat-based or cream soups containing
pureed vegetables or pureed meat
Desserts
Cornstarch puddings
Custard
Gelatin, high-protein gelatin
Plain ice cream and sherbet
Fruit ices and popsicles
No nuts, seeds, or fruit or vegetable skins
Fats
Butter, margarine, mayonnaise
Beverages
Coffee
Tea
Carbonated beverages
Cocoa
Artificially flavored fruit drinks
Lemonade
Sport and rehydration beverages
Medical nutritional supplement drinks such
Ensure®, Boost® or similar products
Milkshakes made with smooth peanut butter or
canned fruit (shakes must be blended smooth)
Pasteurized eggnog
Miscellaneous
Honey, sugar, syrup
Salt
Flavorings (herbs, spices, flavored syrups)
Chocolate syrup
Cinnamon, nutmeg
Brewer’s yeast
Hard candy
Small frequent meals help to increase the amount of calories and other nutrients in a full liquid
diet. You may need to eat 6-8 times in a day. If you need to increase calories, use butter, sour
cream, or other full fat dairy products.
Good nutrition is a vital part of getting better but you may have feelings of fullness and
discomfort even after taking small amounts of liquids. It may help to take as many sips as you
can every 15-20 minutes throughout the day. Drink small servings of liquid supplements and
mix them with ice cream or Carnation Instant Breakfast® to improve the nutritional value of your
liquid diet. Consider adding a daily liquid multivitamin if you need to follow this diet for an long
period of time.
Sample One-Day Menu for Full Liquid Diet
Breakfast
Orange Juice
Cream of wheat with milk
Pureed pears
Midmorning Snack
Applesauce, custard
1 serving Ensure or other nutritional supplement
Lunch
Strained cream of potato soup
Gelatin
Pudding
Tea with cream
Midafternoon Snack
Ice cream
Dinner
Strained cream of vegetable soup
with added pureed vegetables
Pureed peaches
Fruit ice
Evening Snack
Pudding, milk
Custard
Tea
Teach Back
What is the most important thing you learned from this handout?
What changes will you make in your diet/lifestyle, based on what you learned today?
If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions please contact UW Health at one of the
phone numbers listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition
Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s
Hospital (AFCH) can be reached at: (608) 890-5500.
Nutrition clinics for UW Medical Foundation (UWMF) can be reached at: (608) 287-2770
Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you
have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This
is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each
person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using
this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright © 7/2016 University of Wisconsin Hospitals
and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Clinical Nutrition Services Department and the Department
of Nursing. HF#348