Level 5 Mince and moist food
What is minced and moist? |
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| Mashed
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Food is soft and moist
Small lumps visible within the food Lumps are no bigger than 4mm by 4mm Lumps are easy to squash with the tongue |
| Add sauce
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Sauces should be extremely thick, smooth and non-pouring
Sauce is likely to be needed to keep food moist |
| Holds its shape
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Can be scooped and shaped into a ball
Can be eaten with a fork or a spoon Can be layered or moulded Does not spread out if spilled |
| Easy to chew
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Biting is not required
Minimal chewing is required Tongue movements alone can break down pieces |
| Soft
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Can be mashed easily with a fork
If food cannot be finely mashed or minced it should be pureed |
| Avoid high risk foods
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Avoid food that is dry, crumbly, hard, chewy, crunchy, crispy or stringy
Avoid pips, seed and skin on fruit and veg Avoid sticky food, floppy food, juicy food and mixed consistencies |
How to test Level minced and moist |
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| Fork pressure test
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When pressed with a fork the pieces should be easily separated and come through the prongs of the fork
Can be easily mashed with little pressure from a fork Use slot between fork prongs to determine if pieces are the correct size Lump size should be 4mm—the gap between the fork prongs |
| Fork drip test | Food sits in a mound on the fork and does not easily flow through the prongs. |
| Spoon tilt test | Holds its shape on the spoon
A full spoonful tilts off the spoon, should slide off easily e.g. should not be sticky or firm Little food left on the spoon |
Examples of some minced and moist food |
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| Meat
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Finely minced or chopped and tender
Remove all skin, bones and gristle Sausages should be skinless and minced Serve in an extremely thick sauce |
| Fish | Remove skin and bones
Finely mash in extremely thick, non-pouring sauce |
| Bread | Pre-soaked bread that are moist and gelled through the entire piece
No normal, dry bread |
| Fruit
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Serve mashed
Drain excess fluid before serving Remove skins and pips |
| Vegetables | Cook until soft
Finely minced and mashed Drain any liquid |
| Cereal | Very thick and smooth, fully softened
Drain excess liquid before serving Texture fully softened
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| Rice and pasta
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Not sticky
Should not separate into separate grains Mash or mince pasta into 4mm by 4mm pieces Add plenty |
Meal ideas
Breakfast
- Porridge
- Weetabix soaked in milk
- Mashed poached or scrambled eggs
Main Course
- Mashed fish / fish pie with thick sauce
- Mashed corned beef / potato hash
- Cottage pie / Shepherd’s pie
- Mince with gravy and mashed vegetables
- Quiche without pastry (mashed) / mashed omelette
- Thick soup containing bits no bigger than 4mm
- Mashed jacket potato (no skin) with mashed filling e.g. egg mayo, tuna mayo
- Salmon/mackerel mousse
- Risotto (with mashed vegetables e.g. squash, sweet potato)
- Mashed vegetable curry/dahl
- Mashed ravioli with thick sauce
Vegetables
- Mashed softly boiled vegetables without skins (e.g. carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potato, cauliflower, beetroot, etc)
- Mashed potato
Sauces (to improve texture and flavour)
- Thick gravy
- White/cheese sauce
- Mayonnaise, salad cream, sour cream
- Houmous, guacamole
- Tomato ketchup, brown sauce
Desserts & Snacks
- Banana mashed with cream or custard
- Mashed stewed fruit (e.g. apple) with cream or custard
- Thick and creamy yoghurt
- Chocolate mousse or smooth chocolate puddings
- Crème caramel
- Milk puddings (e.g. rice pudding, semolina, tapioca, custard)
- Mashed sponge pudding served with cream or custard
Please be aware:
This page is intended to give you examples of food that would be suitable for a level 5 diet. It is not intended as a meal planner. Please discuss with your SLT or dietician if you need any further ideas/options.
