Liquid diet ideas

Cafe Society
1

Trust me, this is not my idea - I just got back from Morocco, and half of my gastrointestinal system seems to have stayed behind without me (you don’t want the details). So long story short, I have been put on a (hopefully very short-term) diet of clear liquids, no dairy, with a side of Cipro, pending lab results and my gut settling down.

Now I am somewhat of a foodie, so this is my idea of torture - that, and if I don’t get a reasonable amount of protein, I am going to be loopy as hell and completely unable to think straight. I asked my doctor “just how liquid are we talking here? Can I at least eat lentil soup?” to which the response was “water, herbal tea, popsicles, carbonated drinks without the bubbles…in a few days maybe you will be able to handle some rice.”

So what the hell can I eat for the next few days that a) meets the above requirements, and b) will taste halfway decent? There is a pot of chicken soup currently in progress - ideas, please! This is new territory for me - I normally have a fairly cast-iron gut. Six months of Soviet dorm cafeteria food didn’t do me in, but the first 3 days in Morocco did. Let it be a lesson to all.

(Also, note to self - next time, don’t trust the travel guide when it tells you that tap water in northern Morocco is safe, and if you avoid street food, you’ll probably be fine. The CDC disagrees, which I didn’t find out until it was far too late. I feel like such an amateur!)

2

My husband picked up a nasty case of dysentery on our honeymoon to Mexico, and due to a poor initial diagnosis, we went through about a year and a half of various types of diets and pills. So, I understand what you’re going through, and, honestly, your diet is going to be pretty boring and bland for the next couple of weeks, if not months. On the plus side, sticking to the boring and bland diet is the best way to heal up quickly.

Clear liquid means just that - anything that if you put it in a clear glass, you can still more or less see through - so, the broth from your chicken soup is in, but the noodles and chicken are out. Trust me, if you try to do anything else, you will regret it later. You’re pretty much limited to various types of broth - chicken, beef, onion, miso… that’s all I can think of offhand. One important note - unless caffeine has also been banned, coffee is clear as long as you don’t put milk in it! Also, keep an eye on your sodium intake - it’s real easy to start taking in WAY too much if you’re using bullion to help out your soup.

After a week or two, your doctor is probably going to tell you to ramp up your fiber - soy milk has some fiber in it, so that in addition to a high-fiber cereal comprised several of his meals a day (he eats about six small meals a day). Soy milk isn’t low-cal, but it does help keep you full if you’re on a liquid diet.