For many people who begin to have swallowing issues, a soft and bite-sized diet may be recommended by your healthcare provider. Most people find food that is soft and bite-sized much more appealing and appetising than pureed food.
In the IDDSI framework – level 7 is classed as regular Easy to Chew. When this become a problem to swallow it may be necessary to move to food that meets the requirement of the IDDSI Level 6 Soft and Bite-sized diet.
The IDSSI level 6 soft and bite sized diet sets out the texture for food that has been modified to make it easier to eat and swallow for people with swallowing issues.
Overview of IDDSI Level 6
For adults, pieces in the food must be no larger than 15mm square. As a rough guide this distance is about the distance inside the outer prongs of a fork.
You can check if the food is of the correct texture by performing the following tests: –
The fork pressure test – you should be able to squash the food with a fork or spoon using your thumb. Apply fork pressure using the base of the fork until the thumbnail blanches to white.
Finger test – the food should be able to be squashed between your fingers.
The sauce the food is in should not to be so thin that it drips drip from the food.
We recently prepared and tested a chicken casserole. The chicken and bacon squashed very easily between the fingers but the small pieces of mushroom remained intact – so they had to be substituted for mushroom paste.
The main thing we discovered is it may not be necessary to purée regular meals to enable someone with swallowing issues to manage to eat. There are other options that will help to present a more appetizing meal that is more enjoyable to eat.
Full details of the Level 6 Soft and Bite-sized diet together with links to the fork test can also be found by clicking on the link below ‘IDDSI Level 6 Factsheet’ on the official website of IDDSI .
The NHS produce an excellent leaflet with great menu ideas and practical information. Please follow the link below ‘NHS Level 6 Menu Ideas’.
Please note, this site is NOT the official IDDSI website’ please visit the official website of IDDSI at www.IDDSI.org for the most current information and resources.