Nourishing Diet Level 3 - Liquidised Diet Part of: South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group
Introduction: If you are having problems swallowing, or you are unable to chew your food, you may find you need a liquidised diet. This booklet will help you choose foods of a suitable texture and help ensure that you obtain all the nourishment you need. Liquidised food has a thin puree texture and does not require chewing. It is smooth throughout with no bits (e.g. lumps, fibres, bits of shell/skin, bits of husk, particles of gristle/bone etc) it may need to be sieved to achieve this. It does not hold its shape when on a plate or when scooped. It cannot be eaten with a fork nor can it be piped, layered or moulded. The bolus should not be sticky but should hold together in the mouth. It should be moist with no loose fluid present that has separated off. Contact name:. Contact number:. How can I make my food suitable? Food can be liquidised using a blender, liquidiser, food processor and a sieve where necessary. To make this easier: Cut food into small chunks before processing. Liquidise dry foods (e.g. meat) with extra liquid e.g. gravy, cream, milk or stock. Liquidise small quantities at a time to avoid lumps. Remove tough skins and large seeds before blending. Thickening powder may occasionally be needed to add to some foods when blending to give a better blended consistency that does not separate out, but the consistency should always remain that of a liquidised diet.
A Balanced Diet To ensure that you receive all the nutrients you need it is important to eat a variety of foods each day. Try to eat something from each of the following food groups daily:- Protein foods liquidised meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, peas and lentils (must be sieved - see page 2.) Starchy foods thin smooth porridge made from powder with no loose fluid, liquidised potatoes using added gravy, butter, cream or white sauce which is fully absorbed, liquidised rice or pasta using warm milk and butter. Fruit and vegetables liquidised fruit and vegetables using extra liquid as necessary e.g. fruit juice, milk or cheese sauce (remove stones, cores and tough skins.) Milk and dairy foods milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream, evaporated milk, cream cheese, fromage frais. The following foods should be avoided to prevent choking: Sticky foods such as peanut butter, toffee. Coarse, dry, hard foods such as nuts, seeds, coconut, dried fruit, celery, muesli and crisps. Crunchy or crumbly foods such as biscuits, toast, pie crusts and crumbles. Stringy / pithy foods such as fruit skins, shells of beans, peas and sweetcorn. it is important to sieve these foods after blending to remove the skins.
Ideas for a liquidised diet Breakfast Thin smooth porridge made from powder with no loose fluid add sugar to taste. Liquidised cheese omelette with added milk for thinning. Thin milkshakes. Thin mousse. Liquidised tinned or fresh fruit (see page 2). Liquidised banana with sugar and cream. Main meals (add extra liquid as necessary for thinning.) Liquidised meat/fish/poultry with liquidised potatoes and liquidised vegetables Blended ready meals (cook first, as per packet instructions) e.g. shepherd s pie, curry, beef casserole, fisherman s pie, lasagne, macaroni cheese Liquidised soup with no lumps Liquidised/blended scrambled egg Liquidised/blended lasagne Liquidised/blended pasta with cheese, tomato or creamy sauce Puddings and Snacks Liquidised/blended milk puddings (e.g. rice pudding, sago, semolina, custard.) Sponge puddings liquidised with lots of liquid e.g. cream or custard. Instant desserts, whips, blancmange, mousse, angel delight. Blended egg custard, crème caramel or sweet pie fillings. Fruit blended with cream, custard, or crème fraiche. Blended banana with sugar and cream. (add thickening powder, only when necessary to maintain the texture)
How to enrich everyday food and drink Sometimes, following a liquidised diet means that you end up eating less than usual. It is very important that what you do eat is as nourishing as possible. Extra nourishment can be added to everyday foods try some of these simple ideas: Milk Cheese Fats Cream Add 3-4 heaped tbsp. of dried milk powder to each pint of full cream milk (aim to drink 1 pint/day). Keep this in the fridge and use for hot and cold drinks, on cereals and in desserts and sauces. Blend soft cheese into potatoes, vegetables, main meals. Blend butter and margarine into mashed potatoes and vegetables. Blend with potatoes, porridge, cereal, milk puddings, milky drinks, sauces or soups. Sugar and preserves Add sugar or lemon curd to drinks, cereals and desserts. How to make food more appetising Try to blend foods separately and incorporate colour to make your meals interesting and appetising. Serve with bright vegetables such as liquidised carrots or green beans with paler foods such as creamed potato and chicken. Add colour with finely chopped herbs (e.g. parsley) or spices (e.g. paprika).
Using a blender Fruit - blend soft, frozen fruit that has been thawed, or very ripe fresh fruit e.g. strawberries, peaches, bananas. Try adding fruit juice, custard, yoghurt or ice cream. Sieve the puree to remove the pips or skin. Vegetables - cook vegetables to soften them before blending. Liquidise cooked, frozen or tinned vegetables. Vegetables with skins e.g. beans and peas must be sieved after liquidising. Meat, poultry and fish - Cook meat or fish before blending. Remove skins, bones, gristle and tough parts. Add gravy, sauces, stock, milk, condensed soup or evaporated milk to get a thin, smooth puree. Try the following sauces Beef gravy, soup, fruit juice, horseradish Chicken gravy, cream, onion or white sauce Ham pineapple or fruit juices, cheese sauce Pork gravy, soup, apple juice, apple sauce Potatoes add extra fluid such as warm milk, butter or cream. Pasta and rice liquidise/blend using warm milk and butter, white or cheese sauces. Desserts many are already smooth and don t need to be liquidised/blended, e.g. custard, semolina. Liquidise or blend any which contain lumps e.g. fruit yoghurts, rice pudding. Some that are very thick may need to be thinned down with milk and then well mixed, no fluid should separate.
Recipe ideas Liquidised Spicy Mince (approx. 8 servings) 8oz (250g minced beef) 1oz (30g) margarine /oil /butter 1 oz (30g) flour ½ - 1 pt. (300-600ml) gravy or stock (enough to achieve a liquidised consistency) 1 dessertspoon tomato puree ¼ - ½ tsp. mild chilli powder Salt and pepper to taste Fry the minced beef in oil until brown. Add the flour and mix well. Add stock/gravy, tomato puree, chilli powder and seasoning. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Serve one portion with blended vegetables and mashed potatoes with butter and full cream milk to a liquidised consistency Divide the rest of the mixture into equal portions and cool completely before freezing. Blended Lamb with Mint Follow the recipe for Liquidised Spicy Mince but replace the beef with lamb. Add 1-2 tsp. of mint sauce or jelly instead of the tomato puree and chilli powder.
Pork and Apple Puree As for Liquidised Spicy Mince but use pork instead of beef. In place of tomato liquidise and chilli powder add ½ stock cube, crumbled into the meat mixture. Blend the meat with 2 tsp. of apple sauce and enough gravy to achieve a liquidised consistency then serve with liquidised potatoes and vegetables. Yoghurt Fruit Cup Liquidise a small carton of natural or fruit yoghurt with half a glass of fruit juice then serve chilled. Examples: Natural yoghurt with Five Alive fruit drink. Mandarin yoghurt with orange juice. Banana Whip (2 servings) 2 bananas 2-4 tbsp. natural yoghurt 2oz (60g) cottage cheese 1 tsp. honey 1 tsp. lemon juice Peel and roughly chop the bananas. Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until a liquidised consistency is achieved. Sweeten to taste. Divide into 2 servings. Can be refrigerated for 24 hours but do not freeze.
Suggested Meal Plan Breakfast blended/liquidised porridge made with fortified milk and sugar/honey. Tea/coffee with milk and/or fresh orange juice. Mid-morning milky drink or blended yoghurt/ fromage frais/ crème caramel. Lunch blended soup. Blended/liquidised meat, poultry or fish. Blended/liquidised potato with butter/margarine/milk/soft cheese. Blended/liquidised vegetables with butter/cheese sauce. Blended/liquidised milk pudding Mid-afternoon as for morning. Evening meal as for lunch or blended/liquidised curry/ shepherd s pie/lasagne/macaroni cheese. Ice cream (unless on thickened fluids)/ blended/liquidised angel delight/ blended/liquidised sponge pudding and custard. Bedtime hot milky drink Horlicks, hot chocolate, hot toddy. *if you are on thickened fluids then certain foods and drinks will need to be thickened to achieve the correct consistency.
Notes
South Tyneside District Hospital Harton Lane South Shields Tyne & Wear NE34 0PL Tel: 0191 404 1000 For information about our Trust: www.stft.nhs.uk www.facebook.com/stnhsft/ @STFTrust We are committed to raising the standard of written information for patients, their carers, people who use the NHS and the general public. This information can be made available in another format or language on request. For further copies of this leaflet please contact on the telephone number above. Production date: Nov 2018 Author: Nutrition Code: 1118/529 Review date: April 2021