A patient on a bland diet or regular diet, should be aware of foods needed for a nutritionally adequate diet and the importance of including these daily.
He should select food from a wide variety of foods, omitting foods known to distress to the patient.
Moderate use of seasonings are permitted.
Regularity of mealtimes is essential. The patient gets benefited by small and frequent meals.
In between meals, protein rich snacks should be taken.
Moderate amounts of food should be eaten. Heavy meals should be avoided. Volume of any foods sufficient to exert astral pressure against the stomach wall stimulates gastric secretion through the gastric mechanism.
The diet should be planned in consultation with patient, taking into consideration his preferences, cultural pattern and economic status.
Meals eaten outside the house will not cause any problem if good judgement is used in food selection.
Meals should be eaten in a relaxed atmosphere and should forget personal or family problems while eating.
A short rest before and after meals may be conducive for greater enjoyment of meals.
Food should be eaten slowly and chewed well. How one eats is more important than what one eats because fast eating provokes gastric feeding reflex (Figure).
Gastrectomy is one of the possible therapies and some patients may experience difficulties with nutrition post-operatively. Any food preference unless definitely harmful, are granted and the patient should be made as comfortable as possible. In the later stages of the disease, the patient may tolerate only a liquid diet or it may be necessary to resort to parenteral nutrition.
Participants