Additional information
by Arnold Kuntz Ph. D. (Author)
A bland diet is a diet consisting of foods that are generally soft, low in dietary fiber, cooked rather than raw, and not spicy. Fried and fatty foods, strong cheeses, whole grains (rich in fiber), and the medications aspirin and ibuprofen are also avoided while on this diet. Such a diet is called bland because it is soothing to the digestive tract (it minimizes irritation of tissues). It can also be bland in the sense of "lacking flavor", but it does not always have to be so; nonirritating food can be appetizing food, depending on preparation and individual preferences.Bland diet is a regimented diet option that a physician can use to help optimize his or her patient's overall health condition. The bland diet is a useful modality to employ when managing a patient with persistent gastrointestinal complaints, acid-peptic disease, and excess gas formation or in certain postsurgical patients. The bland diet is sometimes referred to as a "low residue diet" or "soft diet." A bland diet is easier to break down and digest, therefore it gives rest to the gastrointestinal tract. It is also less acidic and causes fewer bowel movements. The bland diet comprises of easily digestible foods that are soft-consistency, low-fiber, cooked, gentle to the gastrointestinal tract and usually non-spicy. A typical such diet includes, but is not limited to, low-fat dairy products, eggs, broth, pudding, fruit juices, cream of wheat, tofu, lean meat (skinless chicken, fish, ...), bland vegetables (beet, bean, spinach, carrot, ...), eggs, and tea. The diet also eliminates raw or uncooked foods.What is avoided in this diet is typically anything "non-bland." This might include fried food, spices, seeds and nuts, acidic fruits (berries, grapes, oranges, lemons, limes, ...), whole-grain bread (wheat, whole wheat pasta, cereal, ...), fatty dairy food (whole milk, whipped cream, ice-cream, ...), non-lean meat (beef, fried fish, chicken with attached skin), dressings and sauces, pickles, alcoholic beverages, strong cheeses, and vegetables that cause excesses flatulence (cabbage, cauliflower, onion, pepper...) Avoiding some of these elements will change the taste of the foods and affect our pattern of eating. There is no easy answer or solution for this, but some changes and substitution might ease the difficulties. Some raw fruits can be substituted with pureed fruits and compotes; nuts can be replaced with nut butter, nutmeg with cinnamon, Broiling or mashing some foods, rather than frying them, might be quite helpful. Beverages are habitual and can easily be substituted. Fruit water or tea can replace soda, coffee, and energy drinks. The bland diet is most useful in adjunct to lifestyle modifications for a patient that struggles with gastric or duodenal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), excess flatulence, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, traveler's diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis or heartburn. It may be utilized in a patient before colonic procedures like colonoscopy. Also, the bland diet is a viable option after stomach and intestinal surgeries when the patient is being transitioned back to a regular diet. The bland diet is mostly a temporary measure and not a permanent
