I’ve mentioned this topic a few times in blog posts as a notable change or challenge for people with dysphagia. With John’s recent interview and second recipe contribution, I thought it was the right time to elaborate 🤓
When I think about reaching for a snack when I get home from work or during a random part of my weekend I think of toast, biscuits, nuts, chips, muesli bars, a piece of fruit- All things that exclusively sit amongst the Level 7, regular diet category 🫘🍪🍎🥪
Considering that people who have even a mild dysphagia often lose access to most things on that list, what can people reach for if they need a quick snack but have been recommended a modified diet? The conundrum ensues… 😩
John briefly spoke on his old habit of reaching for a biscuit while he cooked dinner after work but now that’s off the table he opts for a twice cooked microwave oats with fruit and yoghurt. It’s healthy, it’s filling and it’s quick 🏃🏽♀️💨
The other snacks that spring to mind and aren’t pre-packaged or crunchy as hell is when I’ve had the time and have been organised enough to have cooked a quiche, slice or tart. It’s usually soft but also egg heavy. I keep it interesting by changing the ingredients- zucchini, onion, bacon, tomatoes, corn, cheese, tuna- you get the idea 🧅🌽🍅🐟🥓🥚
John generously provided us with something similar, his recipe for a zucchini frittata. It was done in a way I’d never thought before, by slicing the zucchini thin and layering on the base of the pan before adding the egg. This provided a visual I’d never thought of before which was appetising and maintained the image of the zucchini compared to when it’s grated in a slice. This can be a really important component to the food experience, particularly in dysphagia, as a way to keep interest in food elevated. A knack for cooking and a bit of creativity goes a long way!
Now I will say, the zucchini frittata took hardly any time at all to both prepare and cook (and eat!!) however, I do find that sometimes I don’t have the time or energy to prepare healthy and alternative snacks for my week. So imagine if all my little cheat options in pre-packaged snacks were not available to me- quite the dilemma and quite time consuming. This goes for people preparing their own meals as well as for others who might be caring for people with dysphagia, which we wrote about recently 📝
The Fourth Place aims to consider people with all different relationships to food including preferences, sensitivities, allergies, financials and anything else that comes up in relation to mealtime. It’s important that there are a variety of options for dysphagia snacks in a little pocket of the pantry that lacks pre-packaged options and ideas. Particularly if someone has an allergy, sensitivity or doesn’t eat eggs, gluten and dairy. These often tend to be our go to snack options because they’re quick, easy, filling and usually already on hand. However, these foods are also not uncommon for them to be off the menu for other reasons.
Unfortunately, I do not have all the answers and I have not spent enough time in the kitchen of late to have whipped up a substitute menu. Be this as it may, it’s still important to highlight the gap here and the need for some outside-the-box thinking to make life a little easier and tastier for people of all food needs.
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