This leaflet is for people who are only able to eat food and drink of a very soft or liquid consistency. This may be due to your treatment or the location of your tumour. It is important that the food you eat is the right consistency to help you swallow it. The leaflet tells you about liquidising foods to help you have a range of nutrients and still maintain some variety in your diet. It also includes tips on using a liquidiser. Contact details for the dietitians are given at the end of the leaflet.
This diet may be referred to as liquidised or pureed but they mean the same thing
General tips
- Try to have three meals and two or three snacks a day.
- If you need a liquid diet see your dietitian as you will probably need to take nutritional supplements. Your dietitian will advise you.
- Fortify any full fat milk you use with skimmed milk powder – add 2 to 4 tablespoons per pint of full fat milk and whisk well.
- Use yoghurt, evaporated and condensed milk and ice cream in smoothies and milkshakes.
- Baby foods are of a low nutritional value and should not be relied upon for nutrients.
Tips on using a liquidiser
- Make sure the blades are covered with food or liquid before switching it on.
- Check the lid is secure before switching it on to prevent splashes and spills.
- Blend small amounts at a time.
- Allow hot liquids to cool before adding to the liquidiser.
- Almost all foods can be liquidised, but you will need to add liquid to dry solid foods.
How to liquidise:
- Meat, fish, and poultry - Add broths, full fat milk, vegetable juice, tomato juice, gravy or sauces.
- Vegetables - Add vegetable or tomato juice, broths, strained baby vegetables or salad dressing.
- Carbohydrates - Add full fat milk, broths, gravy, sour cream or sauces to potatoes, pasta or rice.
- Fruits - Liquidise with their own juice or syrup from the can, other fruit juices, cream, full fat yogurt or custard.
- Cereals - Add plenty of full fat milk.
- Mixed dishes - lasagne, spaghetti, macaroni cheese, curries, chilli, stew, pies and casseroles can all be mixed with broths, full fat milk, vegetable juice, tomato juice, gravy or sauces. Liquidise well.
Snack list
- Custard
- Yoghurt - try adding honey or jam
- Mousse
- Milk jelly
- Fromage frais
- Ice cream – try adding sauces e.g. chocolate, strawberry
- Jelly - have with ice cream
- Angel Delight
- Crème caramel
- Rice pudding and semolina pudding (if tolerated) – add chocolate drops (ensure melted) golden syrup or jam
- Chocolate that melts in mouth e.g. aero, galaxy, dairy milk
- Crisps that melt in mouth e.g. quavers, skips, wotsits
- A cup of enriched cream of soup (strained for lumps) – to make enriched soup add grated cheese (if tolerated), skimmed milk powder and cream
If you are experiencing swallowing difficulties, for example, coughing, choking, ‘things going down the wrong way’ or recurrent chest infections. If you are not already known to the Speech and Language Team, please discuss a referral with your team.
Further information
If you would like further information please contact the dietitians on:
Phone: 029 2061 5888 ext 2214
Email: Velindre.Dietitians@wales.nhs.uk
June 2020
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