Dysphagia

Excerpts from Nutrition, Diet Modifications and Meal Plans by Ruby P. Puckett and Sherryl E. Danks 1996. Peter loaned me this book to cook for my Mom.

The Dysphagia diet is indicated for patients who have difficulty in swallowing liquid or solid foods.

Mashed solids: These foods do not require mastication. The mashed solids contain more bulk than liquids, but they are controlled by the tongue. Examples include plain or flavored yogurt without solids, pureed meats, pureed fruit, applesauce, thinned mashed potatoes, cream of wheat or rice, custard or pudding.

Semi-solids: These foods require some mastication. The semi-solid foods form a very soft mass that can be held and controlled by the tongue. Examples of these include plain or flavored yogurt without solids, cottage cheese, minced meat, soft scrambled eggs, soft mashed fruit, soft mashed vegetables, cooked cereals, custard or pudding.

Soft chunks: These foods require mastication, but do not lead to early fatigue. Soft chunk foods will not adhere to the palate or teeth and are easy for the tongue to control. Examples of these include yogurt, soft and semi soft cheese, minced meat, scrambled, poached or hard boiled eggs, canned fruit without skins or seeds, mashable vegetables, bread, toast, pasta, rice, noodles, smooth peanut butter and plain soft cookies.

After reading this book this is what I served my Mom this weekend. I thought that it sounded a lot like how you feed toddlers to prevent choking. I served meatloaf, mashed potatoes and canned peaches for one dinner. I cooked tortellini and cooked carrots for lunch. We had a yogurt smoothie for a snack. Spaghetti and cooked beets for another dinner. Raspberries, cheese stick and toast for breakfast. Adding too this was zucchini bread and blue berry muffins. Mom was well fed when she went home.