Level 5 · Minced & Moist: soft, moist food with tiny pieces (no bigger than 4 mm, about the gap between fork prongs), held together in a thick sauce. Very little chewing needed. What do the levels mean?
Serves: 2 · Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients: Mild white fish such as cod or mahimahi (skinless), fresh ginger, low-sodium soy sauce, broth, cornstarch.
Steps
Steam 8 oz fish on a plate with 3 slices ginger for 8 to 10 minutes, until it flakes.
Remove the ginger and check very carefully for bones. Mash the fish finely with a fork.
Simmer 1/2 cup broth with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp grated ginger. Thicken with 1 tsp cornstarch in cold water.
Fold the sauce into the fish until moist and holding together.
Check the texture: press with a fork and the pieces separate easily and pass between the prongs. It slides off a tilted spoon with no thin liquid pooling on the plate.
Use the food level recommended by your speech-language pathologist or doctor. Textures change with cooking time, cooling and reheating, so check the food each time before serving, using the simple fork and spoon tests in our swallowing guide. Sit upright to eat, take small bites, and stay upright for 30 minutes after.