Eating Well when Swallowing is Difficult

By Judy Donnelly, RDN, LD| Nutrition Program Manager, Dempsey Center

Swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia, can arise throughout one’s lifespan due to a variety of reasons. In the cancer population, swallowing challenges are commonly associated with cancer of the mouth and throat and various treatment modalities for cancer of the mouth, throat and the thyroid can result in temporary or long -term challenges with nutrition due to difficulties with swallowing. Depending on an individual’s dentition (teeth), difficulty chewing can add to the challenges of maintaining good nutrition. Under these circumstances, a soft and/or smooth diet may be the best approach to eating. If you’re experiencing issues with swallowing or chewing, please talk to your oncology providers about what treatment options might be best for you. Clinical dietitians and speech-language pathologists can be invaluable resources to support cancer survivors.

The good news is that the soft and smooth diet can adequately meet your nutrition needs and be more interesting than you might think! A balanced diet can still be achieved by selecting foods with a soft texture or cooking foods to a soft texture. If one requires a smooth diet, they do not need to limit themselves to canned nutrition supplements throughout the day. While these products are readily available and make nutrition easier, they are also expensive, might not be pleasing to every palate, and may not offer enough variety to the diet. The addition of a blender or food processor to your kitchen toolbox will open up a wide variety of options for nourishment.

On April 16, the nutritionist at Dempsey Center will be teaming up with Loryssa Howard, a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in swallowing disorders, to offer the program, Understanding Dysphagia. We’ll review the role of the Speech- Language Pathologist in addressing this problem and talk about food, ingredients, and recipes to help people with swallowing difficulties meet their nutrition needs. The program is open to the public and you can register by visiting the Public Programming page at DempseyCenter.org (dempseycenter.org/scheduled-programming/public/ ). Get a jumpstart by trying our Pumpkin Smoothie recipe (see next page). It can be enjoyed cold or warmed on the stovetop or in the microwave for a silky, warm nutritious delight!