HealthInfo Canterbury
Safe eating & drinking
Te inu me kai haumaru
If you have difficulty with your swallowing, you can be at risk of food or drink entering your airways. There are some things you can do to help to make eating and drinking safer.
If you are caring for someone with cognitive problems caused by a stroke, brain injury or dementia, see Easy eating with thinking or memory difficulties (cognitive impairment).
General tips
- If you get tired as the day goes on, eat your main meal earlier in the day.
- If you have dentures and they fit well, always wear them when eating.
- Concentrate fully on eating and avoid talking.
- You might find it easier to eat several small meals rather than three larger meals.
- Track your weight. Check it at least once a month to make sure you're eating enough and getting enough calories.
Swallowing food
- Try to avoid dry food, such as cornflakes, coconut and pastry, as it can catch in your throat.
- Changing the consistency of some food may make it easier to swallow. You may be able to cut it into smaller pieces, mash it, mince it or purée it.
- Adding extra sauces and gravies to savoury food or custard and whipped cream to sweet food, may make it easier to swallow.
- You might have to swallow twice for each mouthful.
- If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
- Foods that have two consistencies (such as peaches and juice, soup with vegetable pieces or cereal floating in milk) might be harder to swallow. Eat the solid food by itself, then have a spoonful of the liquid. If you can, stir the food into one consistency. For soups, blend them first.
- Smooth brown bread may be easier to swallow than white bread.
Swallowing drinks
- Room temperature water is generally harder to swallow. You may find it easier if all your drinks are hot, ice-cold or fizzy.
- If you have been advised to have thickened fluids, avoid jelly and ice cream, as they melt into a thin liquid before you swallow them.
- To avoid tipping your head backwards, try drinking thin liquid from the top half of your cup only.
- If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
Specific tips for you
Try the following suggestions to see if they help. If you still have difficulties, discuss them with your general practice team.
- Sit upright in a chair. It is best to sit at a table.
- Keep talking and other distractions to a minimum.
- Take small mouthfuls of food and liquids (sips or bites). It may help to use a teaspoon.
- Have a strong swallow to help move the food or liquid.
- After swallowing, do extra swallows until your mouth and throat are clear. Wait before putting more food or liquid into your mouth.
- Try alternating a sip of liquid with mouthfuls of food. If this makes swallowing more difficult, try avoiding liquids with meals.
- Check that your mouth is clear at the end of meals. Use your tongue or finger to clear food from your cheeks. You may need to clean your teeth and mouth.
- Stay sitting upright for half an hour after you have had food or liquids.
Ask your general practice team if you can do anything else to make eating and drinking easier.
You may also want to access private specialist help.
Written by speech-language therapists, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2023.
SourcesReview key: HISWD-121957
