Episode 77: Demystifying transitional foods - what is a true meltable snack? with Reva Barewal, DDS, MS
How do we move from discovering a problem our patients face to developing an innovative solution? This week’s episode with Reva Barewal takes a look at the pattern of innovation and how it is deeply rooted in collaboration across disciplines. The creation of the Savorese meltable snack stemmed from an understanding of the change in the dining experience for someone with dysphagia and their caregiver. Our discussion will focus on snack time as an opportunity to re-create the slow grazing behaviors that can lead to increased nutrition.
We also chat about benefits of increasing snacking frequency and snacking options for people with dysphagia. Transitional foods can help with increasing snacking options but it is a poorly understood category in the IDDSI pyramid. It is often offered as a training food for the pediatric population but the potential is untapped for the adult population.
*If you would like to try a free sample of transitional food, go to savorease.com and join our newsletter. We will contact you and send it your way!
topics covered:
Research into flavor and texture cravings in elderly population.
Introduction of Savorese cracker as a transitional food.
Process of innovation and bringing a production from idea to the market.
Process of testing the Savorese cracker with target populations and collaboration across disciplines.
Discussion of interim meals/snack time to improve nutrition and appeal to slow eaters.
Creating culturally diverse transitional foods.
Variance between transitional food behaviors.
Resources to dig deeper:
Journal Articles and more:
1. Barewal R, Shune S, Ball J, Kosty D. A comparison of Behavior of Transitional-State Foods Under Varying Oral Conditions. doc.org/10.1007/s00455-020-10135-w
2. Complete IDDSI Framework and Detailed Definitions (2.0). 2019.
3. Weijenberg RA, Scherder EJ, Lobbezoo F. Mastication for the mind–the relationship between mastication and cognition in aging and dementia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011;35(3):483–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.06.002.
4. Vatanparast H, Islam N, Patil RP, Shafiee M, Smith J, Whiting S.Snack consumption patterns among Canadians. Nutrients. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051152.
5. Keller HH, Duizer LM. What do consumers think of pureed food? Making the most of the indistinguishable food. J Nutr Gerontol Geriatr. 2014;33(3):139–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/21551197.2014.927302
6. Jeltema M, Beckley J, Vahalik J. Model for understanding consumer textural food choice. Food Sci Nutr. 2015;3(3):202–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.205.
7. Awadalla N, Pham T, Milanaik R. Chew on this: not all first finger foods are created equal. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018;57(8):889–94.
Big Thanks to Reva for these great resources!
Reva Barewal, DDS, MS is a clinical assistant professor at Oregon Health Science Center in the department of Pulmonology and Critical Care. She is a prosthodontist, and French culinary chef. She owns a multi-disciplinary private practice in Portland, OR. Her research interests include understanding the influence of transitional foods on food enjoyment and nutrition levels for individuals with dysphagia. She is particularly interested in better understanding the behavior of transitional foods in the mouth and the effects of masticatory function on dysphagia. Her passions lie in improving food enjoyment for all individuals and has created a line of snack supplements for people with swallowing problems that are savory and delicious. Please visit www.savorease.com to find out more.
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
Have you subscribed to the podcast? Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts/iTunes and future episodes will magically arrive on your doorstep/iPhone. For Android users, check out the 10 options available to you to listen!
You’ll earn my undying gratitude by leaving a review on iTunes! Reviews help other SLPs find the podcast. Also, I love reading your feedback! Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review,” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Malaho plenty!