Good recipes for dysphagia?

[elcasmar]

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone had good recommendations for recipes for people with PSP. My mum's diet is becoming more restricting due to coughing and we're looking for new ideas of things to make that are nutritious but good to eat.

Thanks x

[Pentland]

My husband is now on a Level D diet (pre-mashed) so I have resorted to buying it from Wiltshire Farm Foods as I found the precise consistency fairly difficult to achieve. He appears to enjoy the food and there is a good variety. They also do the Level C diet which is pureed. Hope this helps.

Margaret

[honjen43]

There is always room for jelly and icecream on the menu! My love lost his appetite for most other things but it did not matter in the long run!

I used first baby foods and thick moulied soups when he found it difficult to swallow. But he always started with the jelly!

Hugs

Jen xxx

[Julieandrog]

Hi

Rog has all food finely pureed now, looks like a dogs dinner but boy do i make it tasty! Stews, bolognaise and curries all get whizzed. To increase the calories anything sweet has double cream mixed in and rapeseed oil in the savoury.

I resisted pureeing for a long time, somehow not wanting to admit things were worsening, but that is useless with this illness , he manages so much better now.

Julie

[Etoile in reply to Julieandrog]

Bonjour Julie,

You mentioned "I resisted pureeing for a long time". Did Rog resisted to having pureeing food and thickened liquid?

Food was central to the life of my brother before PSP. With PSP, it's still the case. He does not want to eat foods of consistency different than what other people have around the table. He has PSP with a frontal syndrome. Sometimes I think that if he dies while eating normal food, it would be a good death for him. Other times, when I see him chocking while eating and drinking, I would like to find recipes that would not necessitate to be purred because they have a consistency close to pureed food.

In my case, my brother is in a care home. Even though he chocked, the personnel don't see it or ignore it. He would not like pureed food from their industrial kitchen. To provide him with good food, I would have to cook it, the personal would have to agree to warm it up (their microwave does not work properly) and my brother would have to accept to eat differently than the people around the table. I hate PSP.

[elcasmar in reply to Etoile]

Yeah, it sucks. I'm in a similar position with my Mum; she loves food and in theory I would rather she just choke on her breakfast one morning than slowly waste away, but I know that the reality of that would be awful. She's very resistant to things we're obviously doing for her PSP - we eat as a family which I think is really important to her so trying to find foods that are sneakily better for her but also nice and not separate and 'medicalised'. I want her to enjoy food as much as she can, but, as you say, seeing your loved ones choking is very distressing.

[Julieandrog in reply to Etoile]

Hi

Rog has been very accepting in this illness, because he cannot speak clearly he just tries to smile when he has his food and we get a thumbs up, i think he realised even mashed food was causing him severe problems.

Julie

[Karynleitner in reply to Julieandrog]

Do you feed it to him, or is he able to feed himself?

[Julieandrog in reply to Karynleitner]

Bit of both really, when he gets tired i just take over.

[Richanne]

Jon has everything pureed now. He has Wiltshire pureed meals for lunch and I simply puree whatever I cook in the evening. Try anything and everything. Even pizza works if microwaved to keep it soft. And stirfries with noodles! After all you want interesting food yourself, don't you?

Like Julie I add cream or oil whenever possible. I avoid sweet corn which leads to a very rough consistency.

In hospital SALT has advised all pureed food of yogurt consistency so I may have to thin the bought meals when he's home. He doesn't look at his plate so the appearance doesn't matter.

From time to time I make a batch of casserole and freeze pureed portions. Then its quick and easy to add the vegetables later. I also keep a supply of ready made gravies for thinning when blending. There's a good one which keeps in the cupboard. I think it's Bisto.

I've also found many small restaurants surprisingly helpful in pureeing a whole meal for us. You can check beforehand if this will be possible.

So.....its not such a big deal when you get used to it.

Rosemary Rx

[LuisRodicioRodicio]

Prevent solids or regular liquids from reaching the lungs to avoid eventual “aspiration pneumonia”. Add thickeners to drinks (water, Aquarius orange or lemon); to drink use a plastic straw and try he/she drink with the chin as near as possible to the chest. Relatively doughy food and solids in small pieces. Mediterranean diet insisting on fruits (peeled fruit) and vegetables. Fruit compotes in small pieces or passed by mini-pymer. Ice cream are well tolerated.

[Heady]

Like the others have said, I can't speak too highly of Wiltshire Farm Foods. Also Steve lived on pots of rice pudding, with loads of cream in them.

Lots of love

Anne

[Zeberdee]

My hubby will NOT eat any savoury food now no matter how well it’s puréed or how nice it tastes. Scrambled eggs were a favourite but he will not touch them now preferring only yoghurt or chocolate cake with cream or custard. It seems only sweet items with cream will be taken and of course chocolate buttons when it’s our cuddle time. The amout he takes is very small and I continually worry as his weight is plummeting. Jxx

[carlam]

For my dad, everything with lots of sauce slid down pretty well. Small pasta and very soft meatballs with lots of sauce, soft chicken and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, fish with sauce, avocados with salad dressing. He did well with very soft french toast with maple syrup, poached eggs, cream of rice hot cereal with bananas for breakfast, apple sauce. He liked chicken soup with lots of crackers crumbled in the broth. He loved tapioca, chocolate pudding and ice cream. He had at least one chocolate shake every day. Best of luck!

[elcasmar]

Thanks everyone. Too many comments to reply individually, but really useful to know all of this - I hadn't heard of Wiltshire food before so will definitely check them out. Thanks xx

[Heady in reply to elcasmar]

You can find them on-line, they will deliver regularly to your door.

Lots of love

Anne

[Katiebow]

I usually buy an array of good quality readymade dishes, buy fresh mashed potato, readymade fresh cauliflower cheese, microwave complete bag of peas cook and them and freeze in portions ready to accompany many meals. Also do same with carrots. I purée them all down separately and freeze what's not needed. I purée curries, Thai curries, anything with sauce and always freeze half for another meal. I find sticky Thai rice better than normal rice as it doesn't separate in the mouth and cause choking. I have become quite inventive on how to serve interesting food that he enjoys. He also enjoys ices made from thickened (using granular thickener) smoothies which I semi defrost and spoon feed it. He especially enjoys mango and passion fruit smoothie, great if he is really thirsty. I really don't have time or energy to especially prepare food from scratch so good readymades are a lifesaver for me.

Love Kate xx

[Dickwin]

As usual, nothing but useful and insightful suggestions from this crew.

Thank you all for sharing, as I anticipate that eating and swallowing issues are just over our horizon. We need to start thinking and planning. Ah...the new normal.

Warm Regards,

Dick