It is very common for people who have had treatment for a swallowing disorder or difficulty swallowing, called dysphagia, to have a recommendation from a speech language pathologist to stay on a mechanical soft diet.
Foods allowed on a mechanical soft diet are generally soft foods which do not require a lot of chewing. The following are some basic guidelines. Please check with your speech language pathologist who is managing your dysphagia treatment for recommendations specific to your particular swallowing difficulty.
1.) Meats are usually allowed on mechanical soft diets, but only if they are cut, chopped, or ground into very small pieces.
2.) Vegetables should be well cooked so that they are soft and easy to chew.
3.) Fruits are allowed on a mechanical soft diet, as long as they are peeled and cut into small pieces. Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit should be cut into very small pieces.
4.) Breads, cakes, and cookies are allowed, as long as they are not too crumbly.
5.) Chips, rice, and crumbly breads, cakes, and cookies may or may not be allowed, depending on how many difficulty swallowing symptoms you have with these foods (coughing, choking, etc.) which should be determined by your speech language pathologist. Chewing very thoroughly will help you tolerate these foods.
6.) Pasta and pasta dishes such as spaghetti and macaroni and cheese are allowed on mechanical soft diets. Meats in the pasta sauce should be chopped or ground.
7.) Sandwiches made with soft bread and soft fillings are a good option, such as: peanut butter and jelly, tuna fish, chicken salad, egg salad, and tender turkey breast or chicken. Avoid lettuce and other raw vegetables, tough meats, and crumbly breads.
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About the Author: Jolie Parker, M.S.CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist who specializes in the treatment of dysphagia. She is a co-inventor of the PhagiaFlex device for dysphagia, which has been clinically shown to strengthen the swallow, improve esophageal opening and laryngeal elevation, and widen the UES during the swallow.