Smooth Thickening Agents and Soothing Textures
Dysphagia can put you at risk for aspiration when you drink. That’s when liquid gets into your airway instead of heading down to your stomach. Thickening a liquid slows down its flow and gives you better control when it’s in your mouth. You also have a lower risk of coughing or choking with a thicker liquid.
Thicker liquids are also beneficial if you have mucositis. “Smooth, thickened foods are gentler on inflamed tissue and easier to control when swallowing,” says Janulewicz.
It’s equally important to know which foods to avoid. “Two things make eating painful —friction and trouble swallowing,” says Alison Tierney, RD, an oncology dietitian based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and founder of Wholesome, a nutrition coaching program for people with cancer from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
“Anything rough, dry, or crumbly — toast, crackers, chips, raw vegetables — scrapes against raw tissue, which hurts and can even make it bleed,” Tierney says. Alternatively, smooth, moist foods glide over raw tissue instead of scraping, she adds. “Soft, even textures also come with a swallowing advantage —they hold together in one soft lump that’s easy to manage, instead of scattering in the mouth.”
Both Tierney and Janulewicz recommend getting an assessment from a speech-language pathologist who is also a swallowing specialist. “Not everyone with mucositis has true dysphagia, so if you notice coughing, a gurgly voice after swallowing, or food sticking, ask your care team for a speech-language pathology referral to check swallow safety,” says Janulewicz.
An assessment can also help you figure out the correct food texture for you if swallowing has remained really difficult, despite taking measures, Tierney says. “Thicker isn’t automatically safer for everyone,” she adds.
Janulewicz and Tierney suggest modifying the texture of your food in the following ways in order to make it smoother, thicker, and easier to consume:
- Thicken broth by stirring cornstarch or gelatin into it.
- Blend soft fruit like banana or avocado into smoothies for natural thickening.
- For soothing, protein-rich options, blend Greek yogurt with soft fruit, or blend bone broth with rice into a soft porridge.
- Try silken or soft tofu, which is neutral-tasting, high in protein, and blends invisibly into other foods.
- Thicken foods using instant potato flakes, blended white beans, mashed banana, or smooth nut butter thinned into a sauce. “There are also store-bought thickening products made for exactly this purpose,” says Tierney.
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