Dysphagia, but make it to go
It’s a common story told by so many of my clients. They skip the morning coffee or afternoon catch-up with friends because there is nothing suitable to eat. I want to remind you that you’re more than your dysphagia diagnosis. Food is an integral part of your life, it just requires simple modifications so that you can continue enjoying the things close to your heart.
Meal Preparation
Struggling to find anything that suits your needs while out and about? It’s always helpful to be prepared with some food to fuel you on your journey. Simply Modified has an entire chapter dedicated to just this, with a wonderful range of soft snacks and quick bites to eat.
“Simply Modified has an entire chapter dedicated to just this, with a wonderful range of soft snacks and quick bites to eat.”
I encourage you to always have some snacks prepared in your fridge. This will give you the option of enjoying delicious and healthy foods no matter the occasion. All the while experiencing delicious flavours that provide you with an extra bounce as you move throughout your day.
Here are my go to snack recipes in the Simply Modified cookbook. With just a few adjustments, each recipe can be enjoyed at ‘easy-to-chew’, ‘soft and bite-sized’ and ‘minced and moist’ IDDSI levels:
ADZUKI BEAN ‘MEAT’BALLS
PUMPKIN BEAN BITES
SPICED POTATO CAKES
BLACK BEAN & CORN BITES
APPLE SAUERKRAUT CAKES
MUSHROOM & LENTIL PATTIES
Once you get into the hang of meal preparation it becomes a simple modification, that allows you to continue enjoying food!
Image: Black bean and corn bites paired with tomato chutney.
Reservation for Two….
Eating at home is one thing, but many people with dysphagia can also experience immense difficulty finding appropriate food options while out and about. Get to know your local cafe and restaurant owners. Many can be understanding of your difficulties, so it’s worth asking if they can modify certain meals to suit your dysphagia needs. Look for items on the menu that are made fresh to order, contain mostly vegetables and have the option for sauce on the side.
“Get to know your local cafe and restaurant owners. Many can be understanding of your difficulties, so it’s worth asking if they can modify certain meals to suit your dysphagia needs.”
It’s often worth looking at the restaurant menus before you go. While not all of these examples are wholefoods, they can be simply modified based on the cuisine. Keep an eye out for some of these options:
Cafe foods:
Scrambled eggs with smashed avocado (no bread)
Porridge or overnight oats with yogurt
Smoothie bowl with fruit (no granola)
Crustless quiche, fritters or omelette
Common Australian pub meals:
Grilled fish with sauce
Potato or sweet potato chips/wedges with gravy or sour cream (can be mashed with a fork)
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Steamed vegetables
Cottage pie (avoid crust)
Soup of the day (avoid bread)
Italian restaurants:
Ravioli
Gnocchi
Meatballs
Mushroom risotto
Mediterranean restaurants
Shakshuka (Turkish eggs cooked in chilli beans)
Hummus, tzatziki, olive pate’
Babaganoush (eggplant dip)
Eggplant moussaka
Ful medames (fava bean stew often topped with olives, tomato or boiled eggs)
Indian restaurants
Dahl (lentils, often minced)
Aloo baingan (soft eggplant and potato curry)
Spinach idli (savoury spinach cake) with chutney or raita
Mango lassi
Japanese restaurants
Agedashi tofu
Miso eggplant (avoid the skin)
Steamed gyoza (can be mashed with a fork)
Potato korokke (croquettes - can be mashed with a fork)
Mexican restaurants
Refried beans
Chilli beans
Black beans and guacamole
Pulled pork
Thai restaurants
Sticky rice with mango
Thick slow-cooked vegetable curries (such as red, yellow, green, panang, korma)
Rice congee
Fish cakes (can be mashed with a fork)
Restaurants and cafes are often very well equiped to modify meals without much effort at all. From high speed blenders, through to food processors, many kitchen staff are happy to assist. Remember, they want you to enjoy their food! So don’t be afraid to ask, as you might be pleasantly surprised about the range of options they have available.
For more handy hints, grab a copy of the Simply Modified cookbook.
Enjoy!
Written by Brie Simons
Speech Pathologist
SIMPLY MODIFIED COOKING
Written by Speech Pathologist Brie Simons. Including over 50 delicious recipes, with instructions to simply modify meals, making them easy to chew, soft and bite sized, minced and moist, or pureed.
It’s time to fall in love with food all over again…
