Easy to swallow foods?

Question

My father has Motor Neurone Disease and is finding swallowing difficult.He is determined to try and eat "proper food" for as long as possible instead of mashed up food.Feel he is living on soup and wondered if anyone had any ideas of things i could make that wouldnt take a lot of effort to swallow.Also how do i make rice pudding? usually buy tinned for him and was going to give making my own a go.Any help appreciated.

Answer 1

Sweetie,instead of using canned soups make up your own and blend it in a food processor.Here are a few recipes,that are filling and should be a breeze to blend.Possibly even eat them without blending them.

Cheesy Patato Soup

6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 cups water
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
15 slices American cheese - broken into pieces
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk (Or cream for that "rich" flavor)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (you do not have to have that)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the water and potatoes, bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
In a separate small bowl, combine the flour and the milk and stir well until the flour is mostly dissolved. Pour this into the soup slowly, stirring constantly, until soup has thickened, about 5 minutes. Garnish with the parsley. There is 8-10 servings in this.You can cut it in half,and also...this shouldnt be hard for him to eat without blending it.I eat it blended and i love it.It is delicious and the patatoes make it so filling.

Now,if you do decide to make the full recipe of the patato cheesy soup.You can use the left overs(If you have any) for this next dish,and elimate the canned soup.I am sure it would be better.

Broccoli Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 cups broccoli florets
1 onion, sliced (This will be eliminated,but you can do this)
1 tablespoon margarine
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup (this can be eliminated if you are using your other soup)
1 cup milk (This will be eliminated)
1/2 cup water(This will be eliminated)
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (If you dont have it,use dried and make a paste with a tad of extra virgin olive oil and add dried or swap it with another herb.You could even,eliminated it)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saut E the broccoli and onion in the butter or margarine, about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the soup, milk, water, basil and pepper. Mix well and heat through, about 15 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted.
Tip: If you are in fact using your homemade patato soup,i would simply add cooked florets,and also if you want to stick with the cheese you previously used that would be ok.Since there is cheese in it,you can just leave it the way it is and add broccoli,for a twist in flavor.

Cauliflower with Dijon Sauce
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Place cauliflower florets in a large glass bowl or casserole dish, and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic with a knife. Cook in the microwave for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender.
In a cup or small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. Spread over the top of the cauliflower. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Return to the microwave, and cook just until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.Make sure the cauiflower is tender,you dont want it to be mush,but tender,as it will be easier for him to handle.

About any pasta,or rice dish as long as you cook the ingredients.When the spaghetti is done,you could blend it or you could simply cut it in small pieces and mix with a smooth sauce.This would be a litle better than blending i believe.Rice,you could mix rice with anything,as pastas and rice pick up any flavor.They are also filling.Just as patatoes are.


Here is your requested recipe:
Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked white rice
1 quart milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, scald the milk and remove from heat. Add the rice, sugar and salt. Mix well and slowly add the eggs and vanilla. Pour mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Stir pudding after 20 minutes.


Good luck sweetie,i am sorry to hear about your father.Have a good day.

Answer 2

I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. I work with younger people who have problems swallowing, what goes down well are: macaroni & cheese, shepherd's pie, scrambled eggs, steamed salmon, casseroles, fish pie, fruit smoothies, mousse, yoghurt. You probably know that gravy and sauces can make it easier to swallow food that is cut into small pieces. When I do have to mash food up for people, I try to keep it looking as normal as possible; rather than mashing it all up together, for example, I would have a small pile of mashed potatoes, a pile of veggies and a pile of mashed or liquidised meat with gravy, so that at least you can see what is what and it doesn't all taste the same. Also, peas are generally a no-no, as the shells come off and can be really difficult to eat.

As for the rice pudding, I have no idea! Go to www.bbc.co.uk/food and type in the search box, that's what I usually do for recipe ideas. Good luck and take care x

Answer 3

Your poor father - and you. I have seen the effects of this horrible disease in several friends. My heart goes out to you.

I too have difficulty swallowing though for different reasons. I find that food cooked somewhat longer than normal renders it softer, but is still proper food and served in bite sized pieces (I hope he can still chew) chewed well can help. Also serving with plenty of sauces and gravies to help it down.

Other than that, I am sorry, I am not much help. I do know that there are cook books for no chewing and people with swallowing difficulties. I have seen them in my local library, but as I am not there it is impossible to find them.

Also I should think that though your father may or may not be "elderly" having a look for books that are designed for "elderly" people might help. I know that we had to use them for my grandmother and stepfather who though they did not have motor neurones disease both had difficulties with swallowing and choking.

I was a care assistant and the only thing I can say is that patients should never eat or drink without someone present and that their carers have utmost patience. They do not want to make a mess over eating. It is a pleasure - and a necessity to eat and it should not be rushed.

There are bowls and plates out on the market now that you can buy that are filled with hot water to help keep things warm for longer.

I hope this has been of at least a little help and I will think of you.

God bless.

Answer 4

rice pudding .put a cupful of pudding rice in a large dish add a tin of condensed milk and a pint of normal milk add a couple of tablespoons full of sugar and stir then forget 4 about an hour or so put on gas mark 4 once cooked sprinkle with Cinnamon or chocolate powder also how about cooking normal meals for him and liquidising it that way hes getting all the nutrition's he needs.hope this helps a bit.

Answer 5

I use a pressure cooker for rice pudding It makes it really creamy,
If you need one, can you post where in the country you live, e.g. just the county is fine. I might be able to deliver mine as I don't use it any more and I was going to put it on my local Freecycle group.
I live in Kent if that is any help. driving to Kings Lynn this weekend so anywhere on the way is also a possibility.
Not sure how we can make contact if you are interested but I am sure we can find a way.

best wishes to you and your father.

Answer 6

I am sorry to hear your father has this terrible disease - my nan had it so I know how distressing it is.
How about things like casseroles and stew - I know they are similar to soup but you can add so many different things to them and the veg and meat in them tends to get soft so would make it easier to swallow. Also things like shepherds and cottage pie. One other thing is corn beef hash - you get corn beef and then whatever veg you like (I normally use cauliflower and onions) and layer in a pyrex dish then cover with mashed potato and melted cheese sprinkled over the top. Its scrummy!! And soft textures too. Also I find it a real comfort food. Hope this helps x

Answer 7

hi, sorry about your dad, i work with the elderly and a few of them have swallowing problems, so here is a list of what wee give our clients, all really simple and easy to take.

scrambled eggs, poached eggs
mince and potatoes
tuna hash
corned beef hash
baked fish in milk
all kinds of soup
stewed sausages
chicken is really soft when boiled and very easy to take with a sauce added to it.
vegetable curry is good,
and most pasta dishes.
sweets, all milk puddings
ice crean
jelly
hope these few suggestions help.

Answer 8

Sorry your Dad is poorly - here's a few ideas:
soft poached eggs, egg custard, risotto (with tiny pieces of ham/ peas/ onions etc and plenty of stock), steamed white fish in parsley sauce, small pasta shapes with a creamy or pureed sauce. As for rice pudding, a search on google comes up with lots of different recipes. Hope he enjoys it!

Answer 9

spagetti and other pasta meals are also easy to swallow, just make sure the meat is made into as small bits a possible, or blend it into a past and then add it to the sauses. Canned fruits are easyer to swallow also, as well as poached eggs. for recipes i would sugest going to google and doing a search for free recipes for the food you are trying to make. that is what i do.

Answer 10

Cottage Pie (beef, pork, lamb or chicken) doesn't take much effort to swallow - carrotts can be mixed in with the potato before it's mashed.