Dysphagia Mechanical Soft Diet (2024)

FAQs

What is a dysphagia mechanical soft diet? ›

A mechanical soft diet is a type of texture-modified diet for people who have difficulty chewing and swallowing. Foods may be pureed, ground, finely chopped, or blended to make eating safer.

In contrast to the soft diet, the mechanical soft diet does not restrict fat, fiber, spices, or seasonings. Only the texture and consistency of foods are changed. Fruits and vegetables may be soft-cooked or pureed.

A mechanical soft diet can be recommended if you're recovering from certain surgeries on the mouth or neck. People who have few or no teeth or with poorly fitting dentures may also find that following a mechanical soft diet makes it easier to eat.

What is a mechanical soft diet? A mechanical soft diet consists of any foods that can be blended, mashed, pureed, or chopped using a kitchen tool such as a knife, a grinder, a blender, or a food processor. These processes break down the structure of foods to make them soft and easy to eat without biting or chewing.

Ground meat can also be puréed. Soften canned tuna with mayonnaise or water. Soft-cooked, poached, or scrambled eggs, egg whites, and egg substitutes are also a good choice for a mechanical soft diet.

Liquids, such as broth, milk, juice, or water may be added to foods to make them the right consistency.

Peanut butter. Fried Foods Sandwiches. Pizza. Soups with easy-to-chew or easy-to-swallow meats or vegetables Soups with chunky meat or vegetables Well-cooked, moistened, boiled, baked, or mashed pota- toes.

Overall texture must be very thick and moist, not stodgy. No ice-cream or jelly if a person requires thickened fluids (because these can change to normal fluid thickness in the mouth).

You can eat almost any meat on a mechanical soft diet. You will, however, want to avoid bacon as it does not grind easily along with most lunchmeats. If you want meat that has an outside skin to it, such as bratwurst or hot dogs, remove the skin before grinding the meat.

Known as a stricture, a narrowed esophagus can trap large pieces of food. Tumors or scar tissue, often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can cause narrowing. Esophageal tumors. Difficulty swallowing tends to get progressively worse when esophageal tumors are present.

Are scrambled eggs good for dysphagia? ›

When they are scrambled, eggs are soft and easy to swallow. It is easy to combine pureed vegetables with eggs if you want to add extra nutrients and flavor. While softer foods can be bland, eggs are delicious when well prepared.

Mechanical dysphagia can also be known as oral-motor dysphagia. Mechanical dysphagia occurs when there is a problem with the movements of the muscles of the throat. This can cause difficulty in swallowing.

The NDD classifies food textures into three levels (dysphagia advanced/mechanically soft, mechanically altered/ground, and pureed) and fluids into 4 levels (thin, nectar thick, honey thick, pudding thick).

Fried Foods Sandwiches. Pizza. Soups with easy-to-chew or easy-to-swallow meats or vegetables Soups with chunky meat or vegetables Well-cooked, moistened, boiled, baked, or mashed pota- toes. Well-cooked pasta in sauce.

Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can't swallow at all. Other signs of dysphagia include: coughing or choking when eating or drinking.