Eating and drinking safely

The following may help to make eating and drinking safer and meal times more enjoyable:

• Eat slowly and chew food well – allow extra time for eating & drinking
• Don’t overfill your mouth – take small sips / mouthfuls
• Smaller meals can be easier to manage. If losing weight, you may need to add in extra snacks between meals
• Avoid foods which are hard, chewy, tough, fibrous, have stringy textures, pips/seeds, bones or gristle
• Sit fully upright if possible – ideally try to remain sitting upright for 30 minutes after your meal
• Make sure each mouthful is swallowed properly before taking the next – it may be necessary to swallow at least twice after every mouthful to make sure everything has gone down
• Avoid eating or drinking when you are drowsy
• Avoid using spouted beakers or straws unless specifically recommended by a speech & language therapist
• Avoid distractions at meal times e.g. TV, music (you may be more likely to choke if you are focusing on something else)
• Don’t try to talk while eating or drinking
• Good oral hygiene makes eating more enjoyable and safer – regularly brush your teeth & gums or clean dentures