Enjoying our favourite foods may begin to pose a challenge with swallowing difficulties, otherwise known as
dysphagia, a condition which may lead to unplanned weight loss as well as coughing and choking. It usually is caused by problems with your throat or oesophagus, thereby making swallowing quite strenuous. Nonetheless, it is still essential to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Despite having dysphagia, leading a healthy life with proper food intake is still viable and more accessible than you may think.
The simplest and straightforward way to bypass swallowing difficulties is to use a blender. Get creative! Many foods can be blended to provide a hearty meal. Albeit, the food may not be in the consistency you like or are used to, you can put a range of foods from different food groups to cover the variety of
different types of nutrients, allowing your body to function normally and well. You may also want to avoid large meals and instead opt for smaller but more meals per day to keep discomfort at a minimum.
Healthcare experts have devised diets based on the level of swallowing difficulty one is experiencing. Dysphagia diets range from 1 being the worst to 7 being normal swallowing. For example, if you are on a level 1 dysphagia diet, you are allowed to eat pureed bread, meats, fruits and such, but must avoid whole fruits and grains, non-pureed soups, usual meats, etc.
For more details about the dysphagia diet, below are links for further reading:
For sample meals, visit
https://www.gicare.com/gi-health-resources/dysphagia-diet/
Focusing on Asian dining, we may be unable to prepare separate dishes for the individuals at eating home. As a result, special care needs to be given to the design of the menu so that food preparation is suitable for everyone around the table. When it comes to those with swallowing difficulties, we can provide a great
selection of recipes; from
Pumpkin and chopped pork porridge to
Durian pudding allowing everyone at the dinner table to enjoy such dishes whilst giving variety to your palette.
It goes without saying, call
999 if you are choking.
Delish ONE serves delicate take-away menus on soft meals
Delish ONE is the first social enterprise of Po Leung Kuk that provides catering services, job opportunities and on-the-job training are provided to the underprivileged group.
It promotes healthy diet and serves delicate take-away menus for breakfast, lunch and tea, as well as offers catering services to the customers.
Bond into ONE, United as ONE
