Transitional foods are foods that start as one consistency and then change once they're in your mouth. I know what you’re thinking… Magic 🔮 By some standards yes, or just that sometimes temperature and moisture can change the consistency of a food. Let me explain the latter…
When you eat ice cream, you place it in your mouth as a solid. However, with the warmth of your body temperature, it quickly melts the ice cream to become a liquid. For some people, magic. But today, we’re going to call it science 👩🏻🔬
By the international standards, biting is not required and only minimal chewing is needed in preparation to swallow. The idea is that the tongue can assist in the breakdown and preparation to swallow once the food changes texture.
Transitional foods can be used as part of therapy. For example; developing a chewing pattern in paediatric populations or rehabilitating someone’s chewing skills after an event such as a stroke. Some naturally produced transitional foods include ice cream and ice chips (solid to liquid), wafers, select potato chips and/or puffed flavoured snacks such as cheetos, cheezels and soy chips (regular diet to an easy to chew diet).
To test whether or not something can pass as a transitional food you can complete;
The fork pressure test- take a 1.5x1.5 cm piece of food and drop 1 ml of fluid onto it or apply heat. Wait 1 full minute and then apply the fork pressure test. If it changes form and does not recover its shape, then it passes.
The spoon pressure test- substitute the fork for a spoon, per above.
The finger test (where cutlery is not available)- after applying temperature or fluid to the food, per above and after one minute, it should break down when rubbed between the thumb and index finger.
Often, transitional foods are not enough to sustain nutritional needs so they tend to be paired with a modified diet. However, you can have some real fun in mixing up what transitional foods you use, either for therapy or just to switch up textures and flavours. Besides, a lot of the naturally prepared transitional foods on the market make for an awesome snack! 🍨🍫🍪
** These posts are not meant to be used as a diagnostic tool. Diet and fluid recommendations should be prescribed by a practicing speech pathologist. **
** ‘These are NOT official IDDSI resources, educational materials or education programs and they are NOT meant to replace materials and resources on www.IDDSI.org’ **
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