Pesto Trout in Parchment

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut two large pieces of parchment paper, fold each in half. In the middle of half of your parchment, add half your carrots and peppers, toss in a little olive oil and pinch of salt. Add your fish filet. Top with a good squeeze of lemon juice or substitute with a tbsp of water.
3. Fold the top half of parchment over and crimp the edges to create a seal. Transfer parchment packages on a baking sheet into the oven and cook for about 15 minutes. Cook until fish flakes apart easily and vegetables are soft.
4. (Regular Texture) Serve as is with a spoon of pesto over top the fish.
5. (Mince Texture)Use a fork to gently mash the fish and then the vegetables, until the pieces are smaller than 4mm and fit between the prongs of a fork*(see Fork Test below). Or you can also gently pulse in a food processor until pieces are small enough. For the pesto, blend about 2 tbsp of pesto with 1/2 a ripe avocado until smooth, add a little water if needed. Pesto should mound on a spoon, but easily fall off when tilted. Plate all together.
6. (Puree Texture)Puree the fish in a food processor, use a little olive oil or broth if needed to help puree until smooth. The fish puree should easily mound on a spoon, but fall off when tilted**(see Spoon Tilt Test below). Do the same with your vegetables, puree until smooth and test with your spoon. To be sure, you can pass the puree through a sieve to remove any particles that haven't pureed down. For the pesto, blend about 2 tbsp of pesto with 1/2 a ripe avocado until smooth. Pesto should mound on a spoon, but easily fall off when tilted. Plate all together.

• ​Higher fat fish, such as salmon, is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats are essential and healthy fats that can help promote good heart health.
• It is important to still eat vegetables and fruit on a minced and pureed diet, as they provide a variety of essential nutrients, such as vitamin C. Choose fruits and vegetables that do not contain seeds or pits. Cook vegetables very soft and remove tough skins before mincing or pureeing.
• For safe swallowing, the fish you choose to make for a minced or pureed diet should not contain any bones. It is also best to cook the fish in a covered dish in the oven or wrapped in parchment, to prevent it from forming any crispy and hard pieces.   
  
• Cooking the fish in a sauce or a liquid can help add more moisture. After it is cooked, remove the fish from the liquid before mincing or pureeing. 
  

Testing:

Mince Diet: For a minced diet, fish and meat should be served finely mashed or chopped to 4 millimeters lump size. Then served in a thick, smooth, non-pouring sauce or gravy.

• *Fork Test: The slots/gaps between the prongs of a standard metal fork typically measure 4 mm, which meets the particle size requirement of foods on a Minced and Moist diet. Use a fork to gently press down on the food and check that the food pieces easily fit between the prongs of the fork

For more information about Minced Diets, please visit:
https://iddsi.org/IDDSI/media/images/ConsumerHandoutsAdult/5_Minced_Moist_Adults_consumer_handout_30Jan2019.pdf

Puree Diet: For a pureed diet, fish and meat should be well blended using a food processor or good blender. It should then be served with a thicker sauce, as liquids and sauces must not separate from the solids. Pureed foods should have a smooth texture with no lumps. They should hold shape on a spoon, but should still be able to easily fall off the spoon when it is tilted.

• **Spoon Tilt Test: The food sample should hold its shape on the spoon and falls off fairly easily if the spoon is tilted or lightly flicked. The food sample should not be firm or sticky

For more information about Pureed Diets, please visit:
https://iddsi.org/IDDSI/media/images/ConsumerHandoutsAdult/4_Pureed_Adults_consumer_handout_30Jan2019.pdf

Important:
1) If you notice changes in your ability to chew and swallow, it is important to let your doctor know. Your doctor can refer you for a swallowing assessment.

2) Be sure to speak to your doctor before starting to take any Omega-3 supplements as they can interact with medications.