What to eat?

Smooth foods

About 50% of our clients find themselves eating smooth foods such as yoghurt, mashed potato and protein shakes. Whilst this is fine early on, it becomes quite evident that as diets go, it lacks a great deal of nutrients.

This in turn can add to the problem of your gut flora needing fibre in particular.

Fibre Content per 100g of Fruit

  • Raspberries: Provide 6.5 g of fibre per 100 g portion - just over 2 teaspoons.

  • Blackberries: Pack 5.3 g of fibre per 100 g portion - roughly 1.7 teaspoons.

  • Avocado: Delivers 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g portion - about 2.2 teaspoons.

  • Apples: Provide 2.4 g of fibre per 100 g portion with skin - just under 1 teaspoon of fibre.

  • Pears: Offer 3.1 g of fibre per 100 g portion with skin - about 1 teaspoon of fibre. Watch out for pears causing problems with IBS.

  • Chia & flax seeds. - Chia seeds go soft, so you don't notice them as seeds, and flax seed can be bought already ground. Linwood ground flax seed with ground nuts can improve protein levels too.

close-up photo of white cream in clear shot glass
close-up photo of white cream in clear shot glass
Crunchy textures

So many of our clients love crisps (chips) easy to crunch your way through the day but not the greatest source of nutritional balance. Pretzels and crackers are also favourites, so it just goes to show that not everyone with fear of swallowing eats the same things.

Here are some alternative suggestions to chips.

Roasted Chickpeas: These pack a major crunch, are never sticky, and are loaded with protein and fibre. You can make them at home with canned chickpeas, olive oil and sea salt. and roast them until they go hard. A similar texture to wasabi peas - another delight to the taste buds too.

Baked Vegetable Crisps: Crisps made from beetroot, parsnip, and sweet potato offer a hard, satisfying crunch. Choose baked versions rather than fried ones to keep them highly nutritious.

Freeze-Dried Fruits: Traditional dried fruit like raisins or dates are incredibly sticky, but freeze-dried fruit is completely dry, airy, and intensely crunchy. Freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, and apple slices crumble to a powder when chewed rather than sticking.

a pan filled with chickpeas and a wooden spoon
a pan filled with chickpeas and a wooden spoon
Soft and savory

If you're finding yourself living off mashed potatoes them try a few variations, like mashed celeriac, swede, carrot and parsnips.

Soak red lentils and cook them with spices for a smooth daal. Sticking to soft foods such as beans can help get more nutrients into your body. Soups can be beneficial too, just cook an ordinary meal for the rest of the family and blend it up to soup - great in the winter.

cooked food on round tray
cooked food on round tray
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