This information explains what a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet is and how to follow it. It explains how to test your food’s size and thickness. It also lists foods to include and avoid while following this diet.
What is a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet?
A level 6 soft and bite-sized diet is when you only eat foods that are:
- Soft.
- Tender.
- Moist.
- Easy to chew and swallow.
- Easy to cut with a fork. You do not need a knife.
Bite-sized foods should be 1.5 centimeters (cm) by 1.5 cm (about .5 by .5 inches) or smaller. This is about the size of your thumbnail.
Some foods may be hard to serve at this size. If you cannot make your food soft and bite-sized, you can mince and moisten it instead. Mincing your food means grinding, cutting, or chopping it into very small pieces. To learn more, read How To Follow a Level 5 Minced and Moist Diet.
Why do I need to follow a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet?
You may have to follow a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet if you:
- Have dysphagia (dis-FAY-jee-uh). Dysphagia is when you have trouble swallowing.
- Cannot bite off pieces of food safely but can chew food into pieces to swallow.
- Have pain when chewing food.
- Have trouble chewing food.
- Have missing teeth.
- Have dentures that do not fit well.
How can I make sure my food is soft enough?
You can check your food’s softness by doing a fork pressure test. Follow the steps in this section.
Your food’s texture can change based on its temperature and how you cooked it. Test your food right before you start eating it to make sure it’s the right softness.
Figure 1. Fork or spoon pressure test
Fork or spoon pressure test
Place your fork or spoon over your food. Using your thumb, press down on your fork or spoon until your nail turns white (see Figure 1). Your food is soft enough if it is completely squashed and does not go back to its original shape. Your food should also easily break apart with the side of a fork or spoon.
What can I eat on a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet?
Here are some foods you can eat while following this diet. We also list some foods you should avoid.
These tables are not a complete list of foods you can eat on this diet. Other foods may be OK to eat if you test them and they are the right size and texture.
Try to eat moist foods while on this diet. To keep foods moist, add small amounts of:
- Water
- Broth
- Gravies
- Sauces
- Juice
- Milk or half and half
- Yogurt
If you have trouble swallowing liquids, your speech language pathologist may recommend you thicken your liquids. If you need to thicken liquids, read About Thickening Liquids.
Milk and dairy
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Proteins
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Vegetables
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Fruits
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Starches
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Fats
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Soups
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Sweets and desserts
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Other
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Sample menu for a level 6 soft and bite-sized diet
Use this sample menu to get ideas for making your own level 6 soft and bite-sized diet meals.
| Level 6 soft and bite-sized diet menu | |
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| Breakfast |
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| Mid-morning snack |
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| Lunch |
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| Mid-afternoon snack |
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| Dinner |
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| Evening snack |
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Tips for adding more calories to your diet
- Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of canned coconut milk or cream to smoothies, shakes, cereals, and yogurts for extra calories. You can also add it to dishes for extra calories, flavor, and moisture.
- Choose creamy soups rather than soups with clear broths.
- Have puddings and custards rather than gelatin desserts, such as Jell-O.
- Add sauces, gravies, butter, or extra vegetable oil to your meals.
- Drink fruit shakes or fruit smoothies made with yogurt or ice cream.
- Make ice cubes from milk or fruit nectar. Use these high-calorie ice cubes in smoothies or to keep your shakes cold. As they melt, they will add calories to your drinks.
- Drink high-calorie drinks, such as whole milk, milkshakes, or pasteurized eggnog.
- Use oral nutrition supplements, such as Ensure® or Boost®, as a nutritious, high-calorie liquid base in smoothies and milkshakes.
- Add honey to smoothies, tea, yogurt, hot cereals, shakes, or ice cream.
- Add sour cream, half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk to your foods. You can add them to mashed potatoes, sauces, gravies, cereals, soups, and casseroles.
- Add avocado to dishes or smoothies and blend.
- Blend nut butters, such as peanut butter, into shakes and smoothies.
Tips for adding more protein to your diet
- Add pureed tofu to cooked vegetables, soups, or smoothies. You can also eat tofu instead of chicken or meat if you’re having trouble eating animal proteins.
- Add pureed cooked eggs to your soups, broths, and cooked vegetables.
- Use plain full-fat Greek yogurt in smoothies, cream sauces, or wherever you would use sour cream.
- Use a plain protein powder, such as whey or pea protein powder, in liquids and shakes.
- Add full-fat ricotta cheese to moisten a dish and add calories and protein.
- Add cottage cheese to smoothies or pureed fruit.
Contact information
If you have questions or want to make an appointment with a clinical dietitian nutritionist, call 212-639-7312.
