The detailed guide to making puree from almost any vegetable

To support swallowing disorders

Dysphagia describes a condition in which there is difficulty swallowing. Difficulty swallowing usually occurs in older adults and can manifest as difficulty swallowing liquids, solids, or a combination of both. There are many causes of dysphagia ; stroke, Parkinson’s, dementia, cancer treatments that may lead to difficulty swallowing, and even uncontrolled diabetes, where difficulty swallowing is caused by extreme dryness in the mouth.

Those who suffer from dysphagia are at risk of food entering the trachea and lungs, causing coughing, choking, and pneumonia. Due to difficulty eating and drinking, fluid and food intake decreases, which can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, and even sarcopenia .

To enable people with swallowing disorders to eat and drink normally, changes and adjustments to the textures of food and drink are required. Using the right textures allows for safe and non-dangerous swallowing and can thus prevent the development of malnutrition.

The guide presented here is adapted for people with swallowing problems and in accordance with the IDDSI (International Definition of Food and Drink Textures) guidelines, or for those who want creative ways to incorporate more fiber, protein, or fat into their daily diet.

In this guide, we will review some basic principles for preparing various types of mashed potatoes and purees, so that we can have tools for preparing everyday food that will help us reach our nutritional needs with flexibility and creativity.
The purees can be enriched with a variety of different Easyline products.

Tools needed:

strainer

Masher or blender

Wooden spoon or ladle

Wide pot

A wide mixing bowl (optional)

Whisk (optional)

1. In the first step, we will divide the vegetables into 2 types: starchy vegetables and watery vegetables.

The difference between them is that starchy vegetables can stand on their own as a puree. Watery vegetables, on the other hand, will need a “boost” of a starchy vegetable (usually potatoes are preferable) for the puree to be stable enough.

Starchy vegetables (including legumes)	Aquatic vegetables
Potato sweet potato Beans (white, kidney, etc.) Lentils bean Chickpeas	carrot Zucchini pumpkin turnip cauliflower beet

2. In the second stage, we will move on to the cooking itself:

To make puree from vegetables (starchy or watery), peel the vegetable and cut it into equal-sized pieces.

The peel is usually very fibrous and therefore not suitable if we want mashed potatoes with a smooth texture.

To make puree from legumes – sometimes pre-soaking is necessary. Small legumes like lentils can be cooked straight in water, compared to beans or chickpeas that will require soaking overnight in lukewarm water.
The easiest way is to use frozen legumes, the cooking time is the shortest and requires the least fuss. Canned legumes can also be an option, but they should be drained well before use.

The cooking method for each vegetable can be different, depending on the properties of the vegetable.

Roasting – Suitable for fleshy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, potatoes and beets. Allows us to put the vegetable in the oven and move on to other activities. Produces a darker color result, sometimes with deeper roasting flavors. Sometimes we can roast the whole vegetable with the skin on, and peel after the vegetable is ready.

Cooking in a pot – suitable for legumes, potatoes and most watery vegetables. In some cases, preparation will be faster. Usually, the resulting puree will have a more intense color of the vegetable.
When cooking vegetables (not legumes), you can also combine liquids such as vegetable stock or milk.

When cooking potatoes, start with a pot of cold water and salt, bring the potatoes to a boil, and cook until completely tender. You can check the tenderness with a fork or knife inserted into the vegetable – if there is no resistance at all and the piece falls apart slightly, you can finish cooking. About 20 minutes.

Most watery vegetables will want to be cooked in pre-boiled, salted water. Cook until fully tender here as well and check for tenderness in a similar manner (the watery vegetable may not break down as easily as the starchy one).

3. In the third stage, when the vegetable is soft and strained, we will move on to the mashing stage:

Potatoes should be mashed with a potato masher until the puree is as soft as possible. It is not recommended to grind in a blender because the result will be sticky.

The rest of the vegetables can be ground using a blender.

If necessary, mix in the mashed potatoes and other vegetables at this stage.

4. In the fourth step, we will move on to filtering the puree:

In most cases, there will still be lumps left in the puree that we will want to get rid of for a smooth and uniform texture.

Fibrous vegetables like turnips also have tough fibers, and legumes sometimes have skins that will affect the texture.

Use a fine sieve and pass the puree through the sieve with a wooden spoon or ladle, into a wide bowl or clean pot. After filtering all the mass, also go over the outside of the sieve with the wooden spoon, so as not to lose too much of the mass.

5. In the fifth and final step, we will mix in spices, nutritional supplements, fats, and additional liquids, according to taste, nutritional goals, and desired texture.

Easywhey whey protein powder or Mid-day vegan enrichment powder will be suitable for all types of purees. Adding a neutral-tasting liquid enrichment like Easyfiber will also blend well with all types of purees.

The vanilla-flavored liquid formulas ( Easymeal -K vanilla, Easydaily , DM Line ) can be especially suitable for mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin, which combine wonderfully with sweet flavors.

Additional fats and liquids – It is recommended to add cold butter to the warm puree (before the puree has had time to cool), cut into small cubes. This is to create an emulsion that will help us reach the desired texture. You can replace the butter with a little cream (concentrated in calories) or milk (a little more protein).

For every 3 cups of vegetable puree, add about 1 cup of liquids and fats (including the liquid ingredients). The ratio can vary slightly depending on the desired taste and texture.

Spices – add to taste. Usually salt and pepper will suffice, but you can also add turmeric, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and anything else you can think of. Keep in mind that some spices also affect the color of the final product.

Mix all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are incorporated into a uniform mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning. To ensure that the food is at the appropriate consistency ( IDDSI 4 ), perform a spoon tilt test – the puree will fall off the spoon and maintain its shape on the plate. A thin layer of the puree will remain on the spoon. Finally, plate the puree and serve. Enjoy!

To go to the recipes, click here.

Moving on to making cauliflower puree

Moving on to making pea puree

Moving on to making pumpkin puree

* The contents on the site are intended for general information and are not a substitute for personal medical or nutritional advice .

Before making health decisions, it is recommended to consult a doctor or a certified clinical dietitian .