When you cannot chew, you should eat creamy, pasty or liquid foods, which can be consumed with the help of a straw or without forcing the chew, such as porridge, fruit smoothie and soup in the blender.
This type of food is indicated in cases of mouth surgery, toothache, missing teeth, inflammation of the gums and thrush. In elderly people, the consumption of creamy and easy-to-chew foods makes feeding easier and prevents malnutrition, also helping to prevent choking and complications like pneumonia. In these cases, the ideal is for the elderly to be accompanied by a nutritionist, who will prescribe an adequate diet according to their health status and, when necessary, prescribe food supplements that will help to strengthen the patient.
Recommended foods
When you cannot chew, the foods that can be used in the diet to maintain good nutrition are:
- Broths and soups passed in a blender; Chopped or ground egg, meat and fish, added to liqueur soups or next to the puree; Fruit and vegetable juices and vitamins ; Cooked, roasted or mashed fruit; Well-cooked rice and mashed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or pumpkin; Crushed legumes, such as beans, chickpeas or lentils; Milk, yogurt and creamy cheeses, such as curd and ricotta ; Bread crumbs moistened with milk, coffee or broths; Liquids: water, tea, coffee, coconut water. Others: gelatin, jam, pudding, ice cream, margarine, butter;
It is important to remember that elderly people who choke frequently should avoid drinking fluids, especially when lying down, as this increases choking. The easiest foods to swallow are creamy, in the texture of pudding and purees. Difficulty swallowing is called dysphagia, and can lead to serious problems like pneumonia. See the symptoms of this disease in: Difficulty swallowing.
Foods to Avoid
During the period when it is difficult to chew and swallow, you should avoid hard, crunchy and dry foods, such as:
- Dry bread, toast, biscuits, crispy cereals; Yogurts with pieces of fruit; Raw vegetables; Whole fruits, canned or dried fruits; Whole meat or fish.
In addition to avoiding these foods, you should eat slowly to prevent the food from hurting mouth sores or causing choking.
Diet menu for those who cannot chew
The following table shows an example of a 3-day menu with foods that do not need to be chewed and that are easy to swallow.
| Meal | 1st day | 2nd Day | 3rd Day |
| Breakfast | Yogurt or 1 glass of milk + bread crumbs + 1 slice of crushed papaya | Oatmeal | Banana smoothie with 1 col of oat soup |
| Lunch | Tuna with tomato sauce + 4 col. of pureed rice soup + mashed banana |
Cooked ground meat + 4 col. well-cooked rice soup + gelatin |
Cooked and shredded fish + mush + mashed potatoes + grated apple |
| Snack |
Avocado smoothie |
1 yogurt + 1 slice of pudding |
1 glass of milk with coffee + 5 moistened Maria cookies |
| Dinner |
Blended chicken soup + 1 glass of acerola juice |
Blended bean soup + bread crumbs moistened with soup + 1 grated pear |
Oatmeal porridge + 1 slice of pudding |
In cases where there is a great loss of weight due to feeding difficulties, a doctor or nutritionist should be consulted to assess the state of health and adapt the diet.
