Have yourself a merry IDDSI Christmas!
Just because you have swallowing difficulties shouldn’t mean you can’t enjoy Christmas Dinner too…
Christmas dinner suggestions
| Course | Level 7 EC | Level 6 | Level 5 | Level 4 |
| Starter – Pate on toast | Serve ++Pate with thin toast*, crusts removed. Avoid accompanying salad is stringy/fibrous ie) rocket/lettuce as these may be difficult to swallow | Serve Pate and thin toast* cut up into soft and bitesized pieces –consider adding smooth caramelised onion jam to moisten- avoid accompanying salad if stringy/fibrous ie) lettuce/rocket etc. | Serve Pate and smooth onion jam to moisten – no toast | Serve Pate and smooth onion jam to moisten – no toast. May require thinning with a little hot water |
| Starter – Prawn cocktail | Serve shelled cooked prawns with marie-rose sauce. Avoid accompanying salad is stringy/fibrous ie) rocket/lettuce as these may be difficult to swallow. Consider cutting tomatoes/grapes/cucumber up small- removes skins if needed. Can have accompanying bread* and butter. | Serve shelled cooked prawns with marie-rose sauce, cut into small bite-sized pieces. Avoid accompanying salad is stringy/fibrous ie) rocket/lettuce as these may be difficult to swallow. Consider cutting tomatoes/grapes/cucumber up small- removes skins if needed. Could have accompanying thin toast and butter, cut up into soft and bitesized pieces with lots of butter and use of marie-rose to moisten. | Serve shelled cooked prawns with marierose sauce, blend to Minced and Moist consistency (not completely smooth). No bread/toast. | prawns with marierose sauce, blend to Minced and Moist consistency (not completely smooth). No bread/toast. Serve shelled cooked prawns with marierose sauce, blend to puree consistency (completely smooth) No bread/toast. |
| Starter - Soup | Serve soup with soft roll*/bread*/toast* and butter to dip/soak in. Soup can have chunks of vegetable/meat in. | Serve soup with soft roll*/ bread*/toast* and butter to dip/soak in. Soup can have chunks of vegetable/meat in. Pieces should be in keeping with Level 6 soft and bitesized guidance | Serve soup, can have chunks of vegetable/meat in but needs blending to Minced and Moist consistency. | Serve soup as smooth puree texture. |
| Main – Christmas Dinner | Serve meat/fish and trimmings. Cook meat/fish until tender/moist, and serve cut up thin. Add sauces to moisten. Avoid stringy/fibrous vegetables ie) green beans/cabbage. Include soft roast potatoesavoid hard crispy bits, or mash/dauphinoise potatoes, soft broccoli/cauliflower/carrots and swede. Cut Yorkshire puddings/soft cooked pigs in blankets cut up small. Consider gravy to moisten and aid chewing. | Serve meat/fish and trimmings. Cook meat/fish until tender/moist, and serve cut up thin. Add sauces to moisten. Avoid stringy/fibrous vegetables ie) green beans/cabbage. Include cut-up small, soft roast potatoes-avoid hard crispy bits, mash/dauphinoise potatoes, soft broccoli/cauliflower/carrots and swede/sprouts. Cut Yorkshire puddings/skinless sausages cut up small. Consider smooth gravy to moisten and aid chewing. | Serve meat/fish and trimmings. Mash potatoes, carrots and swede, sprouts etc to Minced and Moist texture. Blend meat/fish down to Minced and Moist texture or consider having minced turkey in smooth gravy etc. Add smooth gravy to moisten and aid chewing. | Serve meat/fish and trimmings. Blend potatoes, carrots and swede etc to pureed texture. Blend meat/fish down to puree texture. Add smooth gravy to moisten and aid chewing. |
| Condiments | Stuffing balls. Consider smooth sauces ie) apple /mint/cranberry/horseradish. Sauces with bits/skins may not be tolerated. | Stuffing balls cut up small. Consider smooth sauces ie) apple /mint/cranberry/horseradish. Sauces with bits/skins may not be tolerated. | Wet stuffing allowed (not baked) All sauces to be smooth | Wet stuffing with gravy if tolerated. All sauces to be smooth, no bits. |
| Dessert – Minced pie and cream | Serve shortcrust minced pie with cream. Avoid flaky/filo pastry Avoid nuts | Serve shortcrust minced pie with cream, and cut up small as per soft and bitesized guidance. If pastry problematic- just have filling. Avoid flaky/filo pastry | Serve minced pie filling with ++cream/custard to moisten. Avoid all pastr | Avoid minced pie- consider stewed and pureed fruit alternative flavoured with festive spices and ++cream/custard to moisten |
| Dessert – Christmas pudding | Christmas pudding may be more difficult for some individuals – especially with nuts and dried fruit. If tolerated, steam to ensure moist and serve with ++custard/cream/brandy sauce. Some may opt to remove chunkier fruit and nuts from pudding. | Christmas pudding may be more difficult for some individuals – avoid ones with ++nuts and large chunks of dried fruit. If tolerated, steam to ensure moist and serve with custard/cream/brandy sauce. | Christmas pudding can be a claggy texture. If a particularly smooth and bit-free pudding, it may be mixed with sauce to Minced and Moist texture. | Avoid Christmas pudding. |
| Dessert – Trifle | Serve trifle, including skinless/chopped up fruits/sponge fingers/jelly/custard and cream. Avoid silver balls/nuts atop as decoration. | Serve trifle including skinless/chopped up fruits/sponge fingers/jelly/custard and cream. Consider adding more pouring cream/custard to moisten and take small, bitesized pieces. Avoid silver balls/nuts atop as decoration. | Serve smooth trifle – no added bits, jelly/custard/cream/ Consider adding more pouring cream/custard to moisten. | Consider alternative trifle, made with Angel delight/cream and custard, with more pouring cream/custard to moisten. |
*Only incorporate bread/toast etc to tolerance and if SLT-advised. If you know this to be a texture you struggle with, avoid.
Festive foods to avoid for all levels:
No cheese and crackers; opt for just cheese/soft cheeses (not melted)
No Nuts; chestnuts etc, nuts in cake
Filo/flaky pastry ie) Beef wellington/salmon parcels etc.
