IDDSI FAQ: Vegetables on Pureed and Soft Diet

Roche Dietitians is doing a series of Frequently Asked Questions about IDDSI from our clients, partners, and IDDSI Community Group on LinkedIn. We welcome your questions about IDDSI. To submit a question, type your question in the comment section below.  To view the other FAQs, visit our blog.

Question:

Which vegetables work best on a puree diet and on a soft diet? And do you sieve all of your vegetables after you puree them?

Answer:

No, we do not sieve all of our vegetables after we puree them because we use high-powered commercial grade processors that process the food so smooth, there are no specks or bits. However, some European chefs do strain all of their vegetables. In some cases you do have to strain. A fruit example would be strawberries or kiwi.

We have had success pureeing most vegetables like peas with high powered commercial grade processors. However, corn is the exception. For soft vegetables, it all has to do with moist cooking methods, such as steaming and braising. Using those methods, you can soften the vegetables nicely. Of course, remember to use the IDDSI testing methods for the IDDSI level you are serving to verify that you have the right texture.