![]() ![]() The way you eat may change over time as you go through your recovery, and you might be able to go back to eating more of the foods you are used to. Some people make a good recovery from swallowing problems. They’ll also make sure that the rest of your stroke team are clear about what you can and can’t eat, and how you should be eating. Your speech and language therapist will explain to you and your family exactly what foods are safe for you to eat. You may also find small portions are easier to manage, or that eating earlier in the day when you have more energy, works better. So your therapist may suggest that you stick to cold foods, or allow hot food to cool down quite a bit before you try to eat it.Įating small amounts throughout the day, rather than three big meals, for example, may be better for you if you’re finding it hard to concentrate or you get tired very quickly. Hot foods and drinks can be difficult to swallow because you can’t hold them in your mouth for long. A speech and language therapist can advise you on the right texture. There are different categories of food softness, from soft and bite-sized through to liquidised. If you have problems with chewing and swallowing, you may need to eat soft food. Wiltshire Farm Foods has created a video in partnership with the Stroke Association which shows the options for soft foods, from bite-sized through to liquidised, to help you get the nutrition you need and enjoy mealtimes. Your therapist may be able to suggest how to make some regular drinks to the right consistency, such as smoothies or milkshakes. Making sure the drink is freshly prepared and not thicker than it needs to be could make it more pleasant to drink. To make thicker liquids more enjoyable to drink, you might be able to try chilled or flavoured drinks. These can be made using special powders to create the right level of thickness. Your therapist might assess you and recommend using thickened drinks to help you drink safely. Water and other thin liquids are the hardest things to swallow because they’re difficult to control. It’s important to drink enough, because your body needs to stay hydrated to fight off infections and help you recover from a stroke. If you can’t swallow safely, then you’ll probably need to make changes to your diet with advice from a speech and language therapist. Find out more about the Stroke Association See all.Find out more ways to get involved See all. ![]() Find out more about the support we offer See all. ![]()
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