Special occasions like Easter can tend to focus on enjoying and sharing food with family and friends. This can be a challenging time for someone with MND, who may have a modified diet or a PEG, and they may feel that they are missing out.
So, we have some suggestions for ways to make enjoyable treats for those with dysphagia so no one misses out on their Easter chocolate!
- Buy ready prepared food items where possible if it allows you to spend more time with your family and friends. Supermarket shelves are full of good quality, ready-to-go items that require just a little effort to adapt to your dietary needs e.g. be pureed or mashed with a little liquid if it seems too thick.
- Try using specialty moulds for any pureed foods to help the food look more palatable. You can buy moulds from your local cooking shop or from stores such as Flavour Creations and Puree Food Molds (Note: they can be expensive, so shop around).
- A tasty dessert could be some pureed fruit, such as stewed apples or pears, with added mixed spice to give a seasonal flavour that tastes similar to goodies like hot cross buns. Chocolate cake can be mixed with single cream and left to soften for a few hours in advance then enjoyed with extra cream.
- If you would like to indulge in a bit of a tipple, check out these recipes for alcoholic ice pops, chocolate & brandy mousse and vodka jelly (pg. 65).
- Please be mindful that ice-cream, gelato and jelly can turn into runny/thinner fluids when they melt in your mouth, so might not be suitable for someone requiring thickened fluids. There are thickened ice-creams available that you can buy, please discuss this with your speech pathologist for more information.
- The MND Association in the UK also has a comprehensive guide, ‘Eating and drinking with MND’ which has lots of information and recipes and can be found online here.
Easter Treat Recipes
We've also got some great Easter recipes, including chocolate mousse (some with added fruit and veg to make it extra delicious and healthy!), chocolate cheesecake, and pudding!
Avocado Chocolate Mousse
A member of our MND Community passed us the recipe for this delicious delight!
Ingredients:
Melted chocolate, ripe avocado, melted butter, dutch cocoa powder and a sweetener. They also added sour cream and honey, and the top secret special ingredient, ground salt and a bit of pepper.
Their other top tip was, if you use dark chocolate (80% cocoa content), season with salt as it makes the dark chocolate sweeter!
Method:
You can find several versions of this recipe online and modify it to your tastes and thickness needs.Essentially you blend all the ingredients in a blender, pipe out into serving dishes or coffee cups, and top optionally with double cream or custard or both and grate nutmeg over it and devour!
Red Velvet Beet Chocolate Mousse
A rich, decadent dessert!
Ingredients:
1 cooked beetroot approx (75g/ ⅓ cup)
2 large organic free-range eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
⅓ cup (50g) dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Method:
Puree the beetroot until smooth and set aside.
Separate the eggs and beat the whites until soft peaks form, add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave (checking frequently) or in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (be careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water).
Quickly stir the egg yolks into the chocolate until combined.
Add the beetroot puree and mix again.
Gently fold the beet chocolate into the egg whites until combined. Pour into small serving dishes and chill 3-4 hours, or overnight, until set.
Source: Red Velvet Beet Chocolate Mousse | Veggie Desserts
Avo-cocoa Pudding
Ingredients:
Banana
Ripe avocado
Milk (or coconut milk)
1-2 tsp cocoa or raw cacao powder
Honey (or a sweetener such as stevia or monkfruit powder) to taste
Method:
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!
Cheesecake Mousse
Ditch the blender and opt for the mixer on this one!
Ingredients:
Cream cheese
Sugar
Cocoa/cacao powder
Espresso powder
Coconut milk
Thickened (or double) cream
Method:
In one bowl mix cream cheese and sugar together. In another whip cocoa and espresso powder with coconut milk (or half and half) whith an electric mixer. Combine with thickened cream and whip on high until it has a smooth mousse consistency.
Chia Seed Pudding
This one takes a little longer to set, but the omega-3-rich chia seeds are worth it!
Ingredients:
Chia seeds
Coconut milk
Vanilla extract or essence (just a splash!)
Chocolate sauce/topping
Method:
Mix a good amount of chia seeds in coconut milk with a splash of vanilla and chocolate sauce and then let set in the fridge for about an hour to thicken. Blend and serve cold!
Mars Bar Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
90g caster sugar
120ml thickened cream
150g dark chocolate
2 tbsps cocoa powder mixed with a little hot water to form a thick paste
200g cream cheese, softened
Caramel Cheesecake Layer
90g caster sugar
120ml thickened cream
150g Nestle Caramel Top n Fill
2 tbsps cocoa powder mixed with a little hot water
200g cream cheese, softened
Chocolate Mousse Layer
200g chocolate mousse
(store bought)
Method:
Chocolate Cheesecake Layer
1. Grease 6 glasses/ramekins or a 9" spring form tin wrapped on the outside in alfoil.
2. Melt dark chocolate in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water on the stove. Leave to cool slightly.
3. Whip 120ml thickened cream until sof t peaks form. Add melted chocolate then the cocoa paste. Blend well and set aside.
4. Beat 200g cream cheese and 90g caster sugar together. Fold in cream/chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly until smooth.
5. Divide chocolate cheesecake mixture into four to six glasses/ramekins or pour into spring form tin.
6. To achieve a layered look, allow chocolate cheesecake layer to set in the fridge for 30 minutes prior to adding caramel layer.
Caramel Cheesecake Layer
7. Whip 120ml thickened cream until soft peaks form. Add 150g Nestle Caramel Top n Fill. Blend well and set aside.
8. Beat 200g cream cheese and 90g caster sugar together. Fold in cream/caramel mixture and mix thoroughly until smooth.
9. Spread caramel cheesecake mixture over chocolate cheesecake layer.
10. Allow cheesecake to set for 4 hours (or until firm).
Chocolate Mousse Layer
13. Scrape chocolate flakes from top of mousse and discard.
14. Spread chocolate mousse over cheesecake.
15. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Source: Beyond-the-Blender-dysphagia-cookbook.pdf (griffith.edu.au)
Make your Easter that bit 'extra'
If you're planning on going all-out with your Easter celebrations for the family, why not pop some of these delicious recipes in some Easter themed servingware? Here's a few ideas for goodies you can get from stores local to you:
- Easter Decorations | Easter | Target Australia
- Easter Decorations, Dining & Easter Gifts | Bed Bath N' Table (bedbathntable.com.au)
- Easter | BIG W
- Kmart Australia
And most importantly, not all our recipes are suitable for everyone with dysphagia. If you are having difficulty swallowing, or ever cough when eating and drinking, it is important to discuss this with a speech pathologist
to find the safest thickness and texture for your diet and fluids.
You should also discuss your diet and nutritional needs with a dietitian.