Ways to change the texture of foods

Food texture: Soft and bite-sized

Food can be chewed but not necessarily bitten. It should be easily broken up with a fork and need little cutting. Sauce or gravy can be added to make it softer.

Breakfast

• scrambled or poached eggs
• soft chopped fruit and yoghurt
• oats or cereal softened with milk or yoghurt

Lunch

• boiled and mashed egg mixed with tinned tuna and store-bought mayonnaise (avoid homemade mayonnaise)
• baked beans

Dinner

• casserole with small pieces of tender meat and well-cooked vegetables
• well-cooked rice or wheat noodles (not fried) with boiled vegetables and crumbled soft tofu or tender meat

Snacks, dessert and drinks

• mango
• stewed fruit pieces
• yoghurt with soft fruit pieces
• soft cake with lots of custard
• fruit smoothie

Avoid

• nuts
• dried fruit
• dry or gristly meat
• raw vegetables
• muesli
• hard cheeses (unless melted)
• hard crackers, crisps
• bread, sandwiches

Food texture: Minced and moist

Food should be soft and moist and easily form into a ball in the mouth. Small lumps can be mashed up with the tongue rather than by biting or chewing.

Breakfast

• oatmeal porridge or wheat biscuits with lots of milk and little texture
• well-cooked rice pudding
• congee (rice porridge) with little texture

Lunch

• soup with well-cooked vegetables or meat pieces (no bigger than 4 mm)
• well-cooked lentil dhal with very soft rice

Dinner

• moist macaroni cheese
• mashed or scrambled tofu with small, soft vegetable pieces (no bigger than 4 mm)
• moist risotto

Snacks, dessert and drinks

• mashed banana
• steamed egg pudding
• soft cheesecake without the crust
• semolina pudding
• creamed rice
• milkshake
• milk or soy milk

Avoid

• nuts
• hard vegetables
• all bread and crackers
• dried food
• lollies (jubes, marshmallows)

Food texture: Pureed

The texture of pureed food means it can be moulded, layered or piped to make it look more appealing. You can add sauce or extra liquid if you prefer.

Breakfast

• strained or pureed porridge (made with milk)
• strained or pureed congee

Lunch

• well-cooked pasta that has been pureed in a blender with added sauce
• pureed tinned tuna with store-bought mayonnaise
• pureed mashed potato
• pureed soup strained to remove lumps

Dinner

• pureed chicken blended with extra gravy or sauce and pureed noodles
• pureed lentil dhal or curry and pureed rice

Snacks, dessert and drinks

• pureed pear or apple pushed through a sieve
• yoghurt with no fruit pieces or lumps
• ice-cream
• mousse
• milk or soy milk

Avoid

• meat
• eggs
• cereals or vegetables that have not been pureed in a blender
• peanut butter