367. Borei Nefashos

51:1 After eating fruits that grow on trees - except for the seven special species of Israel - and vegetables that grow from the ground, we recite the bracha of borei nefashos. Even if one both ate and drank, a single bracha suffices for everything. (Mishnah Brurah 207:1 says that if one accidentally said “al ho’eitz” after eating fruit not of the seven species, it is nevertheless effective.)

51:2 A concluding bracha – including bentching - is not recited unless one ate at least a k’zayis (an olive-sized portion - 30 grams plus or minus, depending on the authority consulted). One does not say a concluding bracha for less than this amount. Some say that the minimum volume to require a concluding bracha after drinking is a reviis (around 3.5 ounces), while others say that it is an olive-sized volume even for liquids. In order to avoid a situation of doubt, one should avoid drinking a volume of liquid in-between a k’zayis and a reviis. There is no difference in this matter between liquor and soft drinks. (If one did drink a k’zayis and he does not have a full reviis to drink, he should be sure not to drink the better part of a reviis. That only exacerbates the situation by requiring a concluding bracha according to still other opinions – MB 210:12.)