Still feeling frustrated by swallowing difficulties?

Foods to Avoid for People with Swallowing Difficulties

Hard or Dry Foods

For individuals with poor chewing ability, hard foods are also considered difficult-to-eat foods. Eating these types of foods requires good chewing skills to break them down and mix them with saliva into a sufficiently moist food bolus for safe swallowing. Elderly individuals often experience a decline in chewing ability due to decreased muscle strength and tooth loss.

Sharp or Spiky Foods

Eating these foods requires effective chewing skills to break them down into soft, rounded, and moist pieces for safe swallowing.

Sticky and Tough Foods

Foods like meat, fish cakes, konjac, lotus root, and peanuts can be extremely difficult for elderly individuals with reduced saliva production or those with oral paralysis who cannot properly process food in their mouths. If these foods are not properly chewed into small pieces, they can scatter in the mouth, making chewing even more difficult. When swallowing, these foods may not form a cohesive bolus, making it hard to swallow and increasing the risk of aspiration (where food enters the airway instead of the esophagus).

reference: https://iddsi.org/IDDSI/media/images/Translations/IDDSI_Framework_Descriptors_Final_Traditional_Chinese_Feb_2021.pdf

Safe & Care Diet 1 — Design Soft, Easy-to-Swallow, Nutrient-Rich Menus

✓ Puree vegetables with chicken or fish and simmer into a thick soup for easy swallowing and rich nutrition

✓ Choose nutritious drinks like soy milk or fruit juices to provide ample calories and protein

✓ Opt for easily digestible whole grains, which are rich in vitamins and minerals

✓ Add sauces, gravies, or broths to food to increase moisture and ease swallowing

Safe & Care Diet 2: Supplementing with Nutritional Supplements

Many nutritional supplements available on the market come in tablet or capsule form, which may be less user-friendly for people with swallowing difficulties. Liquid nutritional supplements, in this regard, should be prioritized. For example, Umi No Shizuku’s fucoidan is available in a liquid form, making it easier to consume and providing more comprehensive nutrition!