Information for a Pureed Diet

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The medical term for swallowing difficulties is ‘dysphagia’. Dysphagia occurs due to a number of medical and surgical conditions, such as neurological disorders, head and neck conditions, swallowing difficulties after surgery, frailty and respiratory disorders. Speech and language therapists assess swallowing difficulties and advise on the most appropriate diet consistency.

Why has a pureed diet been recommended?

A Pureed Diet may be recommended due to the following reasons:

• You have difficulty chewing larger pieces of food
• You have weakness or incoordination of the muscles of the mouth and/or throat
• You have difficulty clearing food residue
• You have fatigue issues
• You are at risk of choking
• There is the risk of your food going ‘down the wrong way’ i.e. into the lungs. This is called aspiration

What does a pureed diet look like?

Food should be:

• Smooth texture – does not require chewing
• No lumps
• Not sticky
• Liquid must not separate from solid
• Usually eaten with a spoon (a fork is possible)
• Can be piped, layered, or moulded
• Falls off spoon in a single spoonful when tilted and continues to hold shape on a plate
• Cannot be drunk from a cup
• Cannot be sucked through a straw

How can I puree my food?

• Prepare food before pureeing i.e. remove bone, gristle, skin
• Use gravy, stock, soup, sauces, milk or fruit juice instead of water to add liquid. This provides more nourishment than water and improves taste
• Puree each part of the meal separately using a blender and keep separate on the plate
• If food is too thin, thickener can be added
• Some foods may need sieving after pureeing to remove lumps and bits e.g. stringy meats, fruit with pips
• Avoid reheating food more than once and never refreeze

Breakfast ideas

• Ready Brek or smooth porridge
• Weetabix (well soaked – no loose milk)
• Pureed scrambled eggs with extra milk and cheese
• Pureed and sieved baked beans
• Pureed fruit (tinned or fresh fruit must be peeled – and sieved if it has bits in it – before pureed)
• Smooth yoghurt or fromage frais
• Smooth breakfast drinks (dependent on fluid thickness recommendations – please see advice from your Speech and Language Therapist)

Main meal ideas

• Pureed meat and gravy
• Pureed cooked fish in thick sauce e.g. cheese, white
• Pureed pasta in thick sauce
• Pureed boiled white rice in thick sauce e.g. pureed curry, pureed mince and gravy
• Pureed meat or vegetable casserole
• Pureed lentils e.g. dahl

Potatoes and vegetables

• Pureed cooked potato or root vegetables
• Pureed vegetables with shells on must be sieved after pureeing (e.g. peas, sweetcorn)

Desserts and snack ideas

• Angel Delight
• Mousse
• Thick custard
• Pureed semolina, rice or other milk pudding
• Pureed stewed fruit and custard
• Smooth fruit fools
• Plain cake pureed with custard or cream
• Thick smooth soup (dependent on fluid thickness recommendations please see advice from your speech and language therapist)
• Pureed banana
• Pureed avocado
• Smooth dips e.g. taramasalata

If you have any queries or require further advice then please do not hesitate to contact the Speech and Language Therapy Department at: