Puree food ideas
People with chewing or swallowing problems
may need to eat puree foods. If you are having
trouble with chewing or swallowing food it
is important to talk to your GP or a speech
pathologist before starting on puree foods. The
texture of food recommended can vary from
person to person.
How to prepare pureed
food
• You will need a blender or a food
processor to make your food smooth.
• Cut food into small pieces before pureeing
it.
• Remove seeds and skin from fruit and
vegetables.
• To help puree food, add gravy, sauce, stock,
milk or cream. These liquids provide more
flavour and nourishment than adding water.
Puree to the texture that your Speech
Pathologist has recommended.
Department of Health and Human Services
Consistency
• Puree food should be smooth and lumpfree.
• It should be able to hold its shape on a
spoon, but not so thick that a spoon can
stand up in it.
• If the food is runny (like soup) then you
may need to use a thickener. Check with a
speech pathologist.
Presentation
• Serve pureed food items separately on
the plate, rather than blending them all
together.
• Try to include foods with a range of colours
to make the meal more appealing and give
a variety of flavours.
• Food can seem larger in size once it has
been pureed. This might make meals
daunting, especially if you have a small
appetite. You may find it easier to eat six
small meals each day.
Eating a good variety of
pureed food
When eating pureed foods, it is particularly
important to try to eat a range of foods from
each of the five food groups every day. Here
are some ideas:
Meat and alternatives
• Pureed meat, chicken or fish. Add sauce or
gravy to make a smooth and moist texture.
• Soufflés or mousses such as salmon
mousse.
• Pureed legumes (such as hommus), or
pureed scrambled egg.
Milk and dairy foods
• Milk, milkshakes or smoothies*.
• Yoghurt, frûche® or other dairy desserts.
Make sure these are lump-free (no chunky
fruit pieces).
Vegetables
• Pureed or mashed vegetables. You can add
sauce or gravy to ensure a smooth, moist
consistency.
• Pureed legumes (such as baked beans).
Make sure there are no bits of bean skin in
the final puree.
• Vegetable soups. You can put these in
the blender or use a stick mixer to get a
smooth consistency.
Fruit
• Pureed fruit. You can buy these prepackaged or puree your own fresh fruit.
Fruits that work well are ones that can
be peeled, like bananas, kiwi fruit, pears,
mangos or apricots. Avoid fruit with pips
that are unable to be pureed completely.
• Fruit juice without pulp*.
Grains and cereals
• Smooth, lump-free cereals like semolina or
pureed porridge.
• Pureed pasta, noodles or rice.
*Some people may need thickened fluids as well as pureed food. If you have been told you need thickened fluids, these
drinks might not be suitable for you. Please check with your speech pathologist.
This general advice was accurate at the time of publication (April 2015). For more information about puree foods and
your individual needs, see your GP an accredited practising dietitian or a speech pathologist.