You have been advised to follow a Level 3 liquidised diet because you have difficulty swallowing. Liquidised foods will be easier for you to manage.
What is a liquidised diet?
- Easily pours from a spoon when tilted
- Does not stick to the spoon
- Can be eaten with a spoon
- Can be drunk from a cup
- Does not require chewing
- Cannot be piped, layered or moulded
- Cannot be eaten with a fork as it drips through the prongs
- No lumps, not sticky and liquid must not separate from solid
How do I prepare liquidised puree food?
Liquidise food using a blender or food processor. Foods must be a smooth consistency with all lumps removed. It is important that food tastes, looks and smells good.
- Ensure that all foods are well cooked and moist
- Remove skins, seeds and cut into small chunks before liquidising
- Liquidise small quantities at a time to avoid lumps
- Always liquidise dry foods with extra liquids such as gravy, milk or stock (try not to use only water as this reduces the goodness in the food). Fluid in or on food must match your recommended fluid thickness (any liquid in or around food should match your recommended fluid thickness)
- Thickener, flour or cornflour may be added to maintain thickness
- Liquidise the foods and put them in a bowl or mug to serve
- May need sieving to remove any ’bits’ such as lumps, fibres, bits of shell or skin, husk, particles of gristle or bone.
Is the texture, right?
- It does not require chewing
- It is smooth, uniform consistency, no lumps or bits
- It is moist and can be poured from a spoon or cup
- It has no garnish or crusts
- It has no loose fluids
- It is not rubbery or sticky in the mouth
Food fortification for poor appetite or weight loss
If you have a small appetite or have recently experienced unintentional weight loss, it is important to make your food as nourishing as possible. You can do this by adding full fat products to your meals, snacks, puddings and drinks. This is called food fortification.
| Milk | Add four tablespoons of powdered milk to one pint of full cream milk. Use in drinks, cereal, puddings, sauces and custard |
| Cream | Add double cream to mashed potatoes, porridge, cereal, milky puddings, soups and sauces |
| Fats | Add margarine or butter to vegetables, potatoes or pastas. Add mayonnaise or salad cream to potatoes, eggs or cheese and then liquidise |
| Cheese | Grate into soups, scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes and then liquidise |
| Sugar | Stir into hot drinks, milkshakes, milky puddings, porridge or sprinkle on fruit, and other desserts |
| Jam / Honey | Add to porridge, puddings, yogurts etc. |
Please be aware that food fortification may make the foods a thinner consistency. Ensure any fluids added are thickened to the correct consistency, as directed by your Speech and Language Therapist.
| Food type | Recommendations |
| Meat, chicken and fish | Meat/ chicken/ fish dishes liquidised until smooth with added thick gravy or sauce. |
| Meat alternatives | Liquidised baked beans, lentils or other cooked beans thinned with stock. Liquidised tinned refried beans or hummus thinned with stock. Soufflés, mousses, paté, scrambled eggs, tofu thinned with cream. |
| Fruit and vegetables | Liquidise vegetables with (NO lumps, pulp or seeds) thinned with stock. Stewed or canned fruit that has been liquidised by thinning with juice. Liquidised banana thinned with cream/milk. Fruit packs labelled ‘liquidised. |
| Soup/casseroles | Homemade or canned soup/casseroles liquidised in a blender by thinning with stock. |
| Cereals, pastas and potatoes | Smooth lump-free cereals e.g. liquidised porridge, made from powdered oats and thinned with milk/cream. Cereal with milk liquidised in a blender (ensure any loose milk is thickened to the same consistency or removed). Well cooked pasta, noodles or rice with added sauce liquidised until smooth. Liquidised cooked potatoes. |
| Milk and dairy | Milk, milkshakes and fruit smoothies. (Thickener in your drinks? Please make sure these are thickened to the correct consistency, as direct by your Speech and Language Therapist) Fromage frais or yogurt (no lumps). Thin custard and mousse. Soft and smooth cheese thinned with cream/milk e.g. smooth ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, liquidised cottage cheese. |
Meal Ideas
Breakfast
- Porridge or instant ground oat cereal made with full cream milk or double cream.
- Add sugar, honey or syrup to taste. Please ensure all milk or cream is soaked in. There should be no loose fluids and it should pour easily from a spoon
- Runny yoghurt or fromage frais (no bits) with liquidised fruit
- Liquidised scrambled egg with liquidised beans
- Liquidised fruit with added cream or runny yoghurt or fromage frais
Lunch
- Thick smooth liquidised soup / broth that can be spooned, not drunk
- Cauliflower cheese or macaroni cheese liquidised to smooth consistency by thinning with stock
- Tinned pasta, e.g. ravioli or spaghetti liquidised to smooth consistency with stock
- Liquidised potato with liquidised cottage cheese, beans or spaghetti by thinning with stock
Main meals
- Flaked fish in cheese sauce liquidised to a smooth consistency
- Stewing steak or chicken casserole liquidised to a smooth consistency
- Liquidised potato with double cream and butter, liquidised vegetables and liquidised meat or fish
- Liquidised smooth vegetables
- Lasagne liquidised to a smooth consistency with cream/stock
- Liquidised corned beef with liquidised potato
Puddings / Snacks
- Liquidised milk puddings (e.g. rice pudding, semolina, set custard) with milk or cream
- Instant desserts or whips in a runny consistency
- Fruit fools, smooth set fruit yoghurt, fromage frais or mousse
- Liquidised fruit with whipped cream or thin custard
- Liquidised oats with full cream milk
- Nourishing drinks – please thicken drinks to consistency advised by your Speech and Language Therapist
- Whipped cream, fromage frais or thin custard liquidised with cake
Fluids
It is important to make sure you drink enough fluid to keep you well hydrated. The recommended amount for adults is 1600 – 2000ml daily. If your appetite is poor or you have lost weight, try nourishing drinks such as:
- Milky tea or coffee, hot chocolate, Ovaltine or Horlicks
- Milkshakes made with fruit or flavoured milkshake powder (blended until smooth, using a hand blender or food processor)
- Complan or Build-Up drinks (can be bought from most pharmacies and some supermarkets, and come in a range of sweet or savoury flavours)
- Yoghurt drinks
- Cup-A-Soup made with full cream milk or double cream (smooth with no vegetable pieces or croutons)
- Fruit juice or full sugar squash
If you have been advised by a Speech and Language Therapist, please ensure you thicken all drinks appropriately.
No ice cream or jelly if you have been recommended thickened fluids by your Speech and Language Therapist.
Cake is NOT advised unless given finely blended into custard or milk.
References
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative 2016 (http://iddsi.org/framework/)
Contact Us
Nutrition and Dietetic Service
Nutrition and Dietetic Service
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Sheriff Hill,
Gateshead,
NE9 6SX
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Sheriff Hill,
Gateshead,
NE9 6SX