What is a dysphagia diet? Nutrition

This diet is used when a child has a hard time chewing or swallowing foods.  It is a 3-step diet that adds textures a little at a time as chewing and swallowing improve. 

The foods in this diet are made in a blender. Liquids such as milk, juice, sauce, or gravy are used to make a pureed consistency. No chewing is needed and foods stay together in the mouth. 

Child may have the liquid that is circled:

• Very thin:  Juice, water, breastmilk.
• Thin:   Milk, Pediasure®, formula.          
• Nectar thick              
• Honey thick

**Items in bold may not be allowed if child needs thickened liquid. Ask your speech language pathologist.

Bread

Pureed pancakes, pureed French toast, pureed plain muffins, pureed corn muffins.  You may need to add liquid, like syrup, butter or milk to make these foods moist. 

Cereal

Smooth cooked cereal, like cream of wheat, baby rice or oatmeal.

Meats/Proteins

Pureed beef, poultry, veal, or pork, pureed blended casseroles, pureed pizza, pureed peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pureed macaroni and cheese, pureed cottage cheese.  Foods may need to be moistened with broth, milk or gravy to avoid very thick, sticky texture. Do not puree foods that are fried or very dry.

Potato/potato substitute

Pureed pastas with gravy, butter, margarine, alfredo, or marinara sauce, slightly thinned pureed mashed potatoes with gravy, margarine or butter.

Vegetables

Pureed vegetables. Tomato sauce or tomato juice as tolerated.

Fruits

Pureed peeled fruit: bananas/pears/peaches/applesauce. May need to be thickened with unflavored gelatin or commercial thickener.   Avoid fruits that have seeds such as strawberries. 

Milk/dairy

Pureed cottage cheese, smooth yogurt without fruit pieces, milk. Milk may be used in cooked cereal or mashed potatoes.

Soups

Smooth pureed soups or broths.

Desserts

Pudding, milkshakes, ice cream, popsicles, sherbet.

Fats

Butter, margarine, gravy, cream, sour cream

Other

Salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, sugar, jelly, honey.

Sample menu

Breakfast

• Pureed fruit
• Fruit juice
• Hot cooked cereal
• Milk
• Pureed eggs
• Pureed pancakes with butter and syrup

Lunch

• Pureed pizza
• Pureed mashed potatoes with butter and gravy
• Pureed vegetables with margarine
• Pureed fruit
• Pudding
• Milk

Dinner

• Pureed lasagna or taco meat with cheese sauce
• Pureed vegetable with margarine
• Pureed fruit
• Ice cream
• Milk

Morning snack

• Pureed cottage cheese

Afternoon snack

• Pureed macaroni and cheese

Evening snack

• Yogurt

For other health and wellness information, check out this resource: https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWi/en/parents