Level 6 Soft and bite sized food
What is soft and bite sized? |
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| Soft
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Food is soft and tender
Can be mashed or broken down by pressing with a fork or spoon |
| Use a fork
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Can be eaten with a fork or spoon
A knife is not required to cut the food, but might be used to load food onto the fork |
| Sauce
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Thick sauces may be needed
No separate thin liquid |
| Bite sized
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Food is cut into bite sized pieces of smaller than 1.5cm x 1.5cm |
| Easy to chew
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Chewing is required before swallowing
Biting is not required |
| Avoid difficult 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 soft and bite sized |
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| Fork pressure test
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When pressed with a fork held on its side the food can be “cut” or broken into smaller pieces
When a piece 1.5cm squared is pressed with a fork it squashes and changes shape Food does not return to its original shape when the fork is removed |
Examples of some soft and bite sized food |
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| Meat
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Ensure meat is soft and tender
Remove skin, bones and gristle If meat is not soft enough then serve minced and moist (Level 5) Any liquid e.g. in a stew should be thick (discuss with your Speech Therapist) |
| Fish | Remove skin and bones
Cook fish until soft Break into pieces of 1.5cm x 1.5 cm |
| Bread
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Pre-soaked bread that are moist and gelled through the entire piece
No normal bread unless assessed by Speech and Language Therapist Bread should be no larger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm |
| Fruit
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Drain excess fluid before serving
Remove skins and pips Pieces should be no bigger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm Ensure soft enough for fork test Avoid hard fruit e.g. raw apple |
| Vegetables
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Cook until soft
Ensure pieces are no bigger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm |
| Cereal
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Fully softened lumps of no larger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm
Drain excess liquid before serving Texture fully softened |
| Rice
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Not sticky
Should separate into individual grains when cooked Serve with a thick sauce |
Meal ideas
Breakfast
- Porridge
- Weetabix soaked in milk
- Scrambled eggs/omelette
- Smooth yoghurt
- Boneless mackerel/kippers
- Avocado
Main Course
- Fish pie (with mashed potato topping), fish in sauce (no batter) or fish cakes
- Tender casseroles or stew
- Shepherd’s pie/cottage pie
- Corned beef hash
- Pasta (well cooked and cut up) e.g. spaghetti bolognese, lasagna, macaroni cheese
- Risotto
- Jacket potato (insides only) with soft filling e.g. tuna mayonnaise, cottage cheese, finely grated cheese, egg mayonnaise.
- Skinless sausages, mash and gravy
Vegetables
- Softly boiled vegetables without skins (e.g. carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potato, cauliflower, courgettes, beetroot, etc)
- Mushy peas
- Soft potatoes (mashed, boiled, roasted or chipped-if not too crispy and hard, add gravy or sauce if needed)
Sauces (to improve texture and flavour)
- Thick gravy
- White sauce, parsley sauce
- Mayonnaise, salad cream, sour cream
- Houmous, guacamole
- Tomato ketchup, brown sauce
Desserts & Snacks
- Fresh or drained tinned fruit e.g. mango, strawberries, pears, peaches
- Stewed fruit with skins removed and excess juice drained
- Banana (can be served with custard or cream)
- Chocolate mousse or smooth chocolate puddings
- Trifle
- Crème caramel
- Milk puddings (e.g. rice pudding, semolina, tapioca)
- Sponge pudding served with cream or custard
Bread
Only as specified by SLT:
- safe to have bread
- not safe to have bread
- crusts removed
- safe to have crusts
If safe to have bread, can have items such as:
- soft sandwiches (e.g. egg mayo, tuna mayo, fish paste, grated cheese) cut into bite-sized pieces
- soft toast with topping e.g. scrambled eggs, flaky fish, avocado) cut into bite-sized pieces
Please be aware: This page is intended to give you examples of food that would be suitable for a level 6 diet. It is not intended as a meal planner. Please discuss with your SLT or dietician if you need any further ideas/ options.
