Hello, yes. It's chat time!

If you've found your way to Easy Eating Solutions looking for some help, ideas, or inspiration for eating well on a soft food diet, whether or not you have dysphagia, then you are in the right place. I hope that I can get to know you and your story as we navigate this easy-to-eat adventure!

Food is life

I've put a few recipes up on this blog, and there will be more, but it's time to knuckle down and start the chat. I'll begin. Hello, I'm Anna. I'm a cooking, gardening, Philip-Pullman-reading, woollen-jumper-wearing teacher/wife/mum lady from Bendigo. I like mending things, and making things, and looking at things. Picking things up and putting them down again. Cooking and eating and reading about food.

Like you, I care about a lot of different things. I created EES because I care so much about the power and importance of food. Having delicious, meaningful meals with your friends and family matters. Being able to enjoy those experiences daily matters. Food is life - and sharing a scrumptious meal creates a bond that can boost your happiness, your well-being, your mental health, your physical health ... It matters. And when something like dysphagia stops making mealtimes safe and enjoyable, I get busy.

I'm sure you're here because it's personal. I write about soft foods because it's personal. My children both needed a soft-food diet while they were learning to eat, as they gagged and choked a lot. My great-aunt has dementia and is in a care home on a puréed diet. Our friends' son has Down syndrome and will need a modified diet for many years. My grandpa had a stroke. The list goes on and on. Everyone at some stage will need this, and every time I tell someone about my work their response is "Man alive, my mum/cousin/neighbour needs your book!" (The 'man alive' part is verbatim, I remember distinctly ...)

Companion (n.)

I used to study food history, and I was passionate about it (though, as a 20-year-old, perhaps slightly more passionate about finishing uni and going travelling with my mate Erin) and the ideas that we discussed in those classes can still bring a tear to my eye. To be fair, I cry at everything, but I do get seriously worked up about food. Food has brought people together since, well, forever. Did you know that the word companion is made up of the Latin com meaning "with" or "together" plus panis, meaning "bread"? So, your friend, your companion, is someone you share bread with. How beautiful is that?

I've just opened my website to New Zealand, Canadian, USA and UK companions, so I hope EES can soon be part of this global community of dysphagia warriors, as well as folk who need soft food for the other million reasons that we do. I would love to think that people are enjoying my recipes all around the world, sitting down with people they love (or simply tolerate) to eat something delicious together.

What's your story?

Please say hello in the comments, I would love to know who is out there, why you are looking for soft food recipes, and if there is anything I can do to help.

Thanks for reading,

Anna x