Try: Try changing the size and texture of food soft moist tasteful hot or cold foods are easiest to eat identify and eliminate foods that trigger coughing and choking typically these are foods that are crispy flaky or crumbly bland lukewarm foods tend to be less appetizing serve small pieces of meat and vegetables and encourage cr to take small amounts in each bite try serving soft moist foods like mashed potatoes noodles soup casseroles yogurt pudding gelatin ice cream milk shakes smooth cooked cereals and macaroni and cheese try to make foods more smooth and moist by adding gravy cream sauce salad dressing broth sour cream mayonnaise or butter try offering cr a covered travel mug for hot liquids and a straw with cold liquids to prevent choking avoid acidic beverages if they irritate cr’s throat cause heartburn or cause choking these may include orange juice grapefruit juice lemon juice and tomato juice avoid spicy and peppery foods if they cause choking if liquids and beverages cause cr to choke try adding one of the thickening products available at drugstores cornstarch can also be used as a thickener

Materials: Travel mug with lid and straw liquid thickening product or cornstarch

Categories: Sage, Topic, Medical Physical, Personal

Information: n/a

References: a caregiver’s guide to huntington’s disease by huntington’s disease society of america 2011 available at www hdsa org

Keywords: Choking chokes swallow swallowing chew chewing food

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed