IDDSI swallowing advice
Level 7EC / Regular ‘easy chew’
Why do I need easier to chew food?
This texture is recommended because you find it easier to eat foods which are naturally soft, tender and break down easily when chewed. The foods listed are a guide.
Extra care should be taken to ensure these foods are prepared to resemble a texture which is soft, tender and breaks down easily.
Breakfast ideas
- Egg (scrambled, poached, boiled)
- Baked beans or tinned tomatoes
- Soft fruits e.g. chopped banana, ripe peaches, melon, mandarin oranges
- Thick Scotch pancakes with syrup
- Cereal (softened if soaked in milk and drained)
- Level 7 easy chew Full English: skinless sausages or hot dog sausages, hash browns, poached or scrambled eggs, baked beans, skinless tomatoes
Main meal ideas
- Cooked & tender meat: with sauce, cut into thin pieces
- Pies with mashed potato topping and/or shortcrust pastry (avoid flaky pastry, filo pastry)
- Well cooked soft pasta or rice and sauce
- Steamed, poached or baked fish (cod, haddock etc)
- Omelette, plain or soft fillings e.g. cheese
- Quiche with soft fillings
- Casserole
- Curries, e.g. chickpea, veg/meat/fish curry, dahl
- Risotto
- Soft chips (avoid hard/sharp pieces)
Dessert and snack ideas
- Vegetable pakora (not crispy and softened with a sauce, e.g. mint sauce)
- Samosa filling (remove pastry)
- Breadsticks dipped in sauce
- Melt in the mouth crisps, e.g. wotsits, skips
- Thin chocolate e.g. buttons
- Cake, cheesecake, cake bars, muffins
- Biscuits dunked in hot drink
- Fruit crumbles
- Banoffee pie
- Soft fruit (remove skins)