Clean Eating and Easy
In the Essential Puree system, the sauce is the medium of flavor. Curry sauce, in a mild form, is one of the go-to master sauces listed in the Master Sauce Guide. So these two snacks from the Indian kitchen are excellent choices.
Why Snacks are Important for the Dysphagia Patient
I recently did an interview with the eminent speech pathologist Mary Spremulli, SLP. Mary informed me of the importance of nutritionally-dense snacks for the dysphagia patient or any other patient with swallowing or chewing disorders. It is possible to lose weight when on a pureed diet, because much of the work of digestion is done in the puree. One wants the patient to maintain a healthy weight in order to keep the immune system strong.
The Element of Convenience
It has been a hallmark of the Essential Puree Guidebooks to use convenience ingredients of a high quality. Sometimes caregivers don’t have time to cook a dish with a complex sauce. My market research has turned up two items from the Indian kitchen that are made without preservatives, taste delicious and are easy to puree. They also provide excellent nutrition. They are examples of classic flavor profiles, tried and true and used for thousands of years in a country that is superb in creating flavor in sauces with the use of spices prized the world over.
Note: The curries are mild, but please check with your healthcare provider before eating, and check the packaging for any potential allergies to spices. As always, the swallow is the most important thing.
Lentils and Chick Peas: Nutrition Powerhouses
These two quick and easy snacks are from Kitchens of India. (links below) They heat and eat in 90 seconds.
Three cooking methods provided: stovetop, microwave and pouch boiled in water. They are excellent for the puree.
The first is the Black Gram Lentils Curry or Dal Bukhara. These are whole black gram lentils simmered for hours in a sauce, created by a master chef. The taste is excellent. There are no preservatives.
The second snack is Chick Pea Curry or Pindi Chana. In the great vegetarian cuisines of India, chick peas provide a primary source of protein. These are also heat and eat, created by the same master chef of the ITC hotel chain.
For the Puree
Prepare according to package directions. Allow to cool. Add a cup at a time to the bowl of a mini food processor or blender and puree. For a meal, one could add a half cup to a cup of cooked basmati rice. One could add a tablespoon of yogurt to cool the spices. One could add a teaspoon of your favorite chutney to amplify and deepen the flavors. Calories for these items are approximately 150 and 210 for a half cup, respectively, without rice, yogurt or chutney. A good midafternoon snack for those who like global cuisine.
For Caregivers
The Master Sauce Guide is a free download when you purchase Essential Puree: The A to Z Guidebook on this website. It comes in an electronic format, easily accessible on smart phones and tablets, as well as computers.
Photo Credit: Rajesh_India via Compfight cc