Dysphagia can make it difficult to maintain a balanced diet of tasty foods. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. With a little extra work, caregivers for dysphagia patients can create better-tasting meals that their loved ones will truly be able to savor and enjoy. Whether they’re completely new to dysphagia diets or looking for ways to keep things interesting, home chefs can try the recipes below to add variety and improve the flavor profile of meals.
A Quick Note About Liquids
One of the first things caregivers for dysphagia patients should look into is buying a food thickener. Thickening agents allow people with swallowing disorders to consume thin liquids like those found in certain soups and their favorite beverages without worrying about aspiration risk. Just be sure to ask the person’s speech therapist for recommendations about the level of dysphagia diet to follow and base food thickener purchases on that information. Now, let’s move on to some recipes.
1. Pureed Bacon
Bacon is one of Americans’ top choices for breakfast foods, and it’s important to give dysphagia patients meals they will enjoy. For those who love this popular meat, a bacon puree can be a perfect breakfast meal. All it takes is a high-quality blender or food processor and a strainer or sieve to remove lumps.
To puree bacon effectively, start by cooking it until it is crispy and golden brown. Keep in mind that how the bacon is cooked will impact the texture of the final puree. Crispy bacon blends more easily and smoothly. Once the bacon is cooked, let it cool before transferring it to the food processor and pulsing it until it reaches the right consistency. Some people also add a splash of bacon fat to help it puree better and spices or seasonings to enhance the taste and aroma.
2. Savory Bread Pudding
This diet is a dysphagia-friendly take on a classic savory bread pudding. As with a regular bread pudding, start with day-old bread with the crusts removed. Place them in a lightly oiled baking dish and set them aside while the oven preheats to 180C.
Next, heat some oil in a large frying pan and gently sautee one red or yellow onion, two cloves of garlic, one green pepper, finely shredded kale, and roughly 100g of shiitake or chestnut mushrooms. Home chefs can also add dried herbs to taste at this point.
Adding a dash of vegetable or chicken stock will help the veggies soften if they don’t release enough liquid to do so on their own. Once they’re cooked fully, blend the veggies in a food processor.
To make the liquid for the bread pudding, mix together milk, creme fraiche, chives, and four eggs. Pour the mixture over the pureed vegetables and bread cubes and allow it to soak for five minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake the bread pudding for half an hour. Let it cool slightly before blending again as necessary to achieve the right texture.
How to Improve Pureed Foods
These are just two examples of popular foods that can be pureed to make delicious dysphagia meals. Almost any favored food can be made dysphagia-friendly. Just keep in mind that foods tend to lose their flavor upon pureeing, and be sure to add spices as needed. Flavorful sauces can also improve both the flavor and texture of pureed dishes.