What to eat when you can't chew?
When you cannot chew, you should eat creamy, pasty, or liquid foods, which can be eaten with the help of straw or without forcing chewings, such as porridge, fruit smoothie, and soup in the blender.
This type of food is indicated in mouth surgery, toothache, missing teeth, inflammation of the gums, and thrush.
In elderly people, the consumption of creamy and easy-to-chew foods makes feeding easier and prevents malnutrition, also helping to prevent choking and complications such as pneumonia.
In these cases, the ideal is for the elderly to be accompanied by a nutritionist, who will prescribe an adequate diet according to their health status and, when necessary, prescribe food supplements that will help to strengthen the patient.
Recommended foods you can eat without chewing?
When you cannot chew, the foods that can be used in the diet to maintain good nutrition are:
- Broths and soups passed in the blender.
- Minced or ground egg, meat, and fish added to the liquefied soups or next to the puree.
- Fruit and vegetable juices and vitamins
- Cooked, roasted, or mashed fruit
- Well-cooked rice and mashed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, or pumpkin
- Crushed legumes, such as beans, chickpeas, or lentils
- Milk, yogurt, and creamy cheeses, such as cottage cheese and ricotta cheese
- porridge
- Bread crumbs moistened with milk, coffee, or broths
- Liquids: water, tea, coffee, coconut water.
- Others: gelatin, jelly, pudding, ice cream, margarine, butter
It is important to remember that elderly people who choke frequently should avoid drinking fluids, especially when lying down, as this increases choking.
The most accessible foods to swallow are creamy, in the texture of pudding and purees.
Difficulty swallowing is called dysphagia and can lead to severe problems like pneumonia.
Foods to Avoid when you can't chew?
During the period when it is difficult to chew and swallow, one should avoid hard, crunchy, and dry foods, such as:
- Dry bread, toast, biscuits, crispy cereals
- Yogurts with pieces of fruit
- Raw vegetables
- Whole, canned or dried fruit
- Whole meat or fish
- In addition to avoiding these foods, you should eat slowly to prevent the food from hurting mouth sores or causing gagging.
Diet menu for those who cannot chew?
The following table shows an example of a 3-day menu with foods that do not need to be chewed and easy to swallow.
| Snack | 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Yogurt or 1 glass of milk + bread crumbs + 1 slice of crushed papaya | Oatmeal porridge | Banana smoothie with 1 col of oat soup |
| Lunch | Tuna with tomato sauce + 4 col. of pureed rice soup + mashed banana | Cooked ground meat + 4 col. well-cooked rice soup + gelatin | Cooked and shredded fish + mush + mashed potatoes + grated apple |
| Lunch | Avocado smoothie | 1 yogurt + 1 slice of pudding | 1 glass of milk with coffee + 5 moistened Maria cookies |
| Dinner | Blended chicken soup + 1 glass of acerola juice | Blended bean soup + bread crumbs moistened in the soup + 1 grated pear | Oatmeal porridge + 1 slice of pudding |
In cases where a great loss of weight occurs due to feeding difficulties, a doctor or nutritionist should be consulted to assess the state of health and adapt the diet.
What is the correct way to chew food?
The ideal is to chew the food until it dissolves as much as possible in the mouth and it is important to alternate the sides of the dental arch. The movements can vary between 20 to 40 times, depending on the consistency of the food to be chewed.
See, below, some precautions to perform a proper chewing:
- Do not exaggerate. Put in your mouth an amount of food that allows for comfortable chewing
- Don't be in a hurry and chew constantly
- Chew until the food loses its initial texture
- Swallow all food before putting more food in your mouth
- Avoid drinking fluids while chewing
- Use the bottom teeth for more solid foods
- Pay attention to the textures and flavors of the food before swallowing
- Rest the cutlery at each mouthful and enjoy the meal
- Always chew with your mouth closed so your tongue will push food against your teeth and distribute the food evenly
- Avoid spending long periods without eating. It is difficult to chew slowly when you are very hungry
- Stay away from electronic devices like cell phones and television while eating. This ends up distracting and the focus on chewing is lost
What happens if you don't chew your food?
The correct chewing of food is extremely important for the well-being and quality of life.
However, this function is often impaired by several problems, including the loss of one or more teeth and the difficulty of correct occlusion (closure) of the dental arch.
When chewing is difficult, the patient over time may experience stomach pain and abdominal contracture, since the food that goes to the stomach does not arrive sufficiently crushed.
To digest the food, the stomach then has to release acidic substances in excess.
Inefficient chewing leads to less use of nutrients and can cause diseases such as gastritis and ulcers, also increasing the chances of the patient gaining weight.
In addition, when teeth are missing, the patient tends to chew on only one side, which overloads that part, which can lead to occlusion problems, wear and joint difficulties, says the doctor.
For treatment it is necessary to consult the dentist or the maxillofacial surgeon, as the case may be, to identify the causes of incorrect chewing.
It can be done by placing dental implants, prostheses or other oral rehabilitation techniques.
What happens if I chew on one side only?
Have you noticed, many times while you were eating distractedly, that you were chewing on one side? Well know that this is a habit that affects 34% of the population, according to studies.
After all, chewing is an extremely complex activity and must work equally on both sides, in the same way that our two legs walk equally, and so we walk throughout life.
Unilateral chewing is a parafunctional habit that may be present in your daily life and you may not even notice, or even realize that it is harmful and potentially dangerous in the long run. Be careful, don't chew on one side.
This habit can be related to several causes, such as:
- Dental loss
- Misplaced teeth
- Caries and periodontal problems
- Occlusal interference
- Unilateral posterior crossbite
- TMJ disorders
- Skeletal asymmetry
All information and articles available on this site are for educational purposes only. The information given here should not be used without any expert advice for the diagnosis or treatment of any health related problem or disease. Always seek the advice of a qualified doctor for medical examination and treatment.