Each year, individuals of all ages all around the world are diagnosed with feeding or swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). Put simply, dysphagia can be described as difficulty moving food, liquid, saliva or medication from the mouth to the stomach.
The consequences of dysphagia include dehydration, malnutrition, aspiration and asphyxiation, and a negative impact on quality of life and social participation in eating and drinking. IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) suggests that over 590 million people worldwide are currently living with Dysphagia.
Dysphagia touches individuals across their life span, but it is most prevalent at the end of life, with the elderly being most affected. Although people are sometimes unaware of the disorder, dysphagia is a widespread clinical condition as it affects more than 30% of patients with stroke, 60–80% of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, 10–30% of adults aged 65 and older, and more than 51% of elderly residents living in care settings.
Due to difficulties with swallowing normally, and the high risk of aspiration or food and drink entering the lungs, people who display any signs of Dysphagia, such as coughing or choking on food, should be referred to a SLT (Speech and Language Therapist) who will assess them and recommend appropriate texture-modified drinks and meals of a specific consistency that are safest and easiest for the individual to swallow. It is essential that the entire meal meets the recommended texture standards -not just part of the meal.
In recent years, IDDSI have developed The IDDSI Framework to describe food textures and drink thicknesses to improve safety for individuals with swallowing difficulties.
Level 4 of the food framework is a puree diet which is designed to minimise the amount of chewing of food required for people who have trouble chewing and swallowing normal texture foods.
Particle size: Puree food is completely smooth and lump-free, and feels smooth (without lumps) when tasted (similar in consistency to a commercial pudding).
Moisture: Solids and liquids do not separate.
Stickiness: Food will hold shape on a spoon but must pour/slide off if spoon is tilted or lightly shaken.
Softness: No chewing or biting is required. Solids and liquids are one. No lumps observed.
It is paramount to ensure that pureed food always looks appetising and is attractively presented. We all eat with our eyes first, so improving meal presentation with colour and contrast on the plate for everyone, regardless of their condition, ensures that nobody feels isolated or treated differently.
It is common for people with a Dementia to refuse to eat what they cannot recognise.
The use of food molds is becoming increasingly popular to recreate the original shapes of pureed foods as family members and care caterers understand the key benefits:
Place cooked food in a food processor and puree until a smooth, thick, lump-free consistency is achieved.
Add a small amount of food thickener to the puree to ensure the food can retain its new shape when it is removed from the mold and is reheated. Look for a puree mixture consistency which will hold shape on a spoon but pours/slides off if spoon is tilted or lightly shaken.
Using a spatula, evenly distribute the puree into the individual mold cavities. Cover the molds with the mold lid and place in the freezer to set for a minimum of 4 hours. NB: to save space, frozen molded food portions can be placed in suitable freezer bags, logged and labelled in accordance with HACCP requirements.
Once frozen, remove the individual food portions from the mold onto a plate. Cover and allow to thaw in the fridge.
Cover molded meal with heatproof cover to retain moisture and reheat to 75 degrees (minimum heat requirement) using one of the following methods in order of suitability:
Regeneration oven/trolley
Bain Marie
Combi steam oven
Oven
Food molds are available in 13 styles, enabling you to make a large variety of pureed meals.
Richard Edwards of ’Outstanding’-rated The Close Care Home told us how food molds have transformed mealtimes for his residents on pureed diets:
"The puree food molds have been a revelation in the home for residents on a puree diet. Nobody ever wants to be on a puree diet, but with the molds we can restore the dignity in eating by giving a well-balanced meal for puree diets in an appetising and visually stimulating way. Many visitors to the home have no idea the meals are pureed for some residents."
All recipes have been created and tested by a health care professional (R.M. BSc Nutrition and Food Science, Grad Dip Dietetics).
Mold Type - Pork Chop
Yield- 8 portions (110g / 4oz each)
Ingredients:
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan, gently sweat the onions, carrots and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes
Molding
Once the mix has reached the correct consistency, spread mixture into a Silicone Puree Food Mold. Once cavities have been filled, cover with lid and then place in freezer.
Heat & Serve
Once frozen, take mold tray out of freezer. Turn mold tray over and apply gentle pressure to release frozen food from mold. Place frozen food directly onto plate and allow to thaw in fridge. Prior to heating, cover plated food appropriately to prevent molded food from drying out e.g metal plate cover, insulated plate cover, heat-proof polycarbonate lid. Reheat molded food on plate to desired temperature. Serve.
Nutrient Per Serve Energy 710kJ Protein 11.5g Total Fat 10.7g Carbohydrate 7.3g Dietary Fibre 1g Sodium 405mg
Mold Type - Sirloin Steak
Yield- 4-5 portions (100g / 4oz each)
Ingredients:
Method
Molding
Once the mix has reached the correct consistency, spread mixture into a Silicone Puree Food Mold. Once cavities have been filled, cover with lid and then place in freezer.
Heat & Serve
Once frozen, take mold tray out of freezer. Turn mold tray over and apply gentle pressure to release frozen food from mold. Place frozen food directly onto plate and allow to thaw in fridge. Prior to heating, cover plated food appropriately to prevent molded food from drying out e.g. metal plate cover, insulated plate cover, heat-proof polycarbonate lid. Reheat molded food on plate to desired temperature. Serve.
Nutrient Per Serve Energy 712kJ Protein 12g Total Fat 8.9g Carbohydrate 10.6g Dietary Fibre 2.2g Sodium 410mg
Mold Type - Chicken Mold
Yield- 8 portions (80g / 3 oz each)
Ingredients
Method
Molding
Once the mix has reached the correct consistency, spread mixture into a Silicone Puree Food Mold. Once cavities have been filled, cover with lid and then place in freezer.
Heat & Serve
Once frozen, take mold tray out of freezer. Turn mold tray over and apply gentle pressure to release frozen food from mold. Place frozen food directly onto plate and allow to thaw in fridge. Prior to heating, cover plated food appropriately to prevent molded food from drying out e.g. metal plate cover, insulated plate cover, heat-proof polycarbonate lid. Reheat molded food on plate to desired temperature. Serve.
Nutrient Per Serve Energy 635kJ Protein 11.3g Total Fat 7.5g Carbohydrate 9.6g Dietary Fibre 1.3g Sodium 70mg
Mold Type - Chicken Mold
Yield- 8 portions (80g / 3 oz each)
Ingredients
Method
Molding
Once the mix has reached the correct consistency, spread mixture into a Silicone Puree Food Mold. Once cavities have been filled, cover with lid and then place in freezer.
Heat & Serve
Once frozen take mold tray out of freezer. Turn mold tray over and apply gentle pressure to release frozen food from mold. Place frozen food directly onto plate and allow to thaw in fridge. Prior to heating, cover plated food appropriately to prevent molded food from drying out e.g. insulated plate cover, heat-proof polycarbonate lid. Reheat molded food on plate to desired temperature. Serve.
Nutrient Per Serve Energy 565kJ Protein 12.4g Total Fat 5.8g Carbohydrate 8.3g Dietary Fibre 1g Sodium 296mg
Beware of cheap and poor quality imitations!!
Our Silicone Puree Food Molds are made from top quality 3mm thick 100% food grade certified silicone rubber.
Yes, all food molds are dishwasher-safe making cleaning a breeze.
The Silicone Puree Food Molds are safe for use in all types of ovens and microwaves up to a temperature of 465°F or 230°C.
With correct use and cleaning the silicone food molds can last up to 40 years of daily use.
No. Our molds have been successfully implemented into cook fresh, cook freeze and cook chill catering systems.
No - using puree food molds will actually save you time. Consider all the time you spend cooking and preparing puree food every day, plus the time spent cleaning the blender numerous times in one day each time you want to puree a different food. Using food molds, you may only have to prepare puree food once a week! By preparing puree food in larger batches, placing them in the food molds and freezing them for later use, there is a significant reduction in time spent preparing puree meals, and cleaning the food blender multiple times afterwards!
When you're ready to use molded food simply pop the frozen molded food items directly onto a plate - exactly as you would like it presented as a meal - cover with cling wrap or plate cover and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. The next day, simply cover the molded meal with a heat-proof lid and re-heat in a Burlodge style retherm system, a combi oven (steam/heat) or in a Bain Marie.
Due to the unique properties of different foods (water content, molecular structure) some puree foods molded may not keep their shape as well as others when reheated. For this reason, be very careful how much fluid is added to the blender when preparing the puree mixture to ensure the right consistency before placing into the molds. It is also important to always add a sufficient amount of food thickener.
To download our FREE Easy 5 Step Guide to pureeing meals please click here.
Other image sources