INTRODUCTION TO

THERAPEUTIC NUTRITION
 Objectives
At the end of the chapter, the students
should be able to:

1. Point out the purposes of therapeutic

nutrition; and
2. Recognize the role of nurses in
nutritional care
 Therapeutic Nutrition
Objectives of Nutritional Care in Disease
1. Supply optimum nutrition
2. Heal tissue; cure the disease
3. Support recovery from the disease
4. Improve the function of the involved
tissue or organ system
5. Reduce work of the affected organ to
promote healing
Factors in Planning a Modified Diet
 Disease state, its nature, duration
intensity
 Food form or nutrient modification
required by the disease
 Patient’s individual food tolerance and
food habits
 Nutritional adequacy of modified diet
 Patient’s physical ability and home
situation
 Responsibilities of the Nursing
Department
 Nurse
- the first person to witness how
the patient’s behavior towards
eating
- communicate directly to the patient
regarding the eating problem
- the one who reports to the dietary
dept.
 Nursing aide – the one who see to it that
the patient consumed the food and
record if the food is consumed or
not.
The Role of Nurses in Nutritional
Care
Three Important roles
 Observing
 Listening
 reporting
 Diet Therapy
Diet therapy Aims to:
1. Maintains normal nutrition
2. Corrects nutritional deficiency
3. Changes body weight
4. Adjusts the body’s ability to use one or
more nutrients
5. Permits maximum rest to the body or
an organ
STANDARD HOSPITAL
DIETS
Standard Hospital Diets
A. Liquid Diets
- clear liquid diet
- full liquid diet
B. Soft Diets
C. Test Meals
 A. Liquid Diets
Clear Liquid Diet
- purpose: to relieve thirst and to help
maintain water balance
- Broth: provides sodium
- broth and fruit juices: contribute potassium
- carbonated beverages, sugar, fruit juices
- furnish a small amount or carbohydrate
- small amount of fluid are offered every
hour or 2
- used only for 24 to 48 hrs following acute
vomiting, diarrhea or surgery
 A. Liquid Diets
Full Liquid Diet
- nutritionally adequate
- consist of liquids and foods that liquefy
at body temperature
- used for pt’s with acute infection, fever
and difficult to chew
- ordered after surgery or in treatment
for GI upset
- offered in 6 feedings (breakfast, am snack,
lunch, pm snack, dinner, bed time)
 A. Liquid Diets
Full Liquid Diet
-calorie intake – one pint of light cream
substituted by one pint of milk
- protein – increase by 30g (3 oz non-fat
milk daily maybe added to:
- fresh milk,
- cream soup
- cereal gruels or custard
Food allowance for one day
- 6 cups milk - 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs - 1 tbsp butter
- 1-2 oz strained meat
- 1 cup strained citrus juice
- ½ cup tomato juice
- ½ cup vegetable puree
- ½ cup strained cereal
- 2 serving dessert: soft custard, plain ice cream,
sherbet or plain gelatin
Protein – 85g
Calories -1,950
 B. Soft Diets
- Nutritionally adequate
- Reduced fiber content
- Soft consistency
- bland flavor
- Used after surgery, acute infections and
fever and in GI disturbances
Modified normal diet
- Meat and poultry are minced or ground. Fish is
usually sufficiently tender without further
treatment
- Vegetables, diced or chopped, are cooked. They
may be cooked a little longer than usual to be
sure the are soft
- Soft raw fruits may be used
- Soft rolls, breads, or biscuits are used instead of
crisp rolls, crust, breads and toast.
- All desserts on a normal diet may be used
including pies with tender crust, cakes and
puddings
 Sample Menu
Breakfast: fried hotdog and egg; rice; milk and
sugar; ripe papaya
AM snack: pineapple juice; chicken pie
Lunch: fish sinigang; rice; banana
Pm snack: chicken arroz caldo; kalamansi
juice
Dinner: almondigas with patola; rice;ripe
mango
Bedtime: milk
 C. Test Meals
Fecal Fat determination test
- it measures fat globules in the stools to
detect fat absorption.
- 100g fat ingested daily for 3 days prior
to fecal collection.
- 2cups whole milk
- 1 egg
- 8 oz lean meat
- 10 exchanges of fat
 C. Test Meals
Meat-free Test
- used to determine GIT bleeding
- a 3 day diet excludes ingestion of meat,
poultry and fish

Calcium Test
- used to determine urinary calcium
excretion to diagnose hypercalcemia
 C. Test Meals
Serotonin Test
- used to detect calcinoid tumors of the
intestinal tract
The normal diet maybe modified for:
- consistency and texture
- flavor
- energy value
- nutrient level such as fats, proteins,
carbohydrates, sodium, and others
- food categories such as types of fats or
elimination diet for allergies