Soft meals, big impact: SUSS pilot makes dining out easier for those with swallowing difficulties

SINGAPORE – For about two years since her diet changed to soft meals, Madam Chin Chieu Hoye, who turns 100 in 2026, had not visited a restaurant due to the limited options available.

On Jan 12, she was treated to a seven-course meal – with dishes like steamed cod fish fillet with minced ginger and stewed beancurd with minced beef – at Imperial Treasure restaurant at Great World. These classic dishes were adapted into soft meals for diners with swallowing and chewing difficulties.

Madam Chin was joined by about 40 guests, including four others with dysphagia – a medical condition that affects swallowing.

Giving a thumbs up, she said: “I enjoyed the food... It’s soft and better than what I have at home.”

The event was part of an inclusive pop-up dining programme led by the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), designed to introduce dysphagia-friendly meals in restaurants without compromising on taste and presentation.

The two-day pilot initiative on Jan 12 and 13 features special menus by Imperial Treasure at Great World and 5 Senses Cafe & Restaurant in North Bridge Road.

The effort also aligns with the Ministry of Health’s EatSafe SG programme to improve safe swallowing practices for patients with dysphagia.

Madam Chin has been eating mainly at home, with her food prepared by her domestic helper.

Her daughter, Ms Wong Ting Mei, executive director of non-profit organisation Society for WINGS, said her mother would occasionally grumble that the food she eats is “same old, same old”.

“We can’t take her out for dinner celebrations, or we have to take her specially cooked food out, or we only have home gatherings,” said Ms Wong, 63. “Some food establishments also do not allow us to bring home-cooked food.”

Ms Wong hopes more restaurants will offer dysphagia-friendly meals across different price points and cuisines so that those who need soft meals can enjoy inclusive dining. She plans to promote the inclusive menu to her members at Society for WINGS – which empowers women to age well and live fulfilling lives – and will consider organising outings for some of them to the participating restaurants.

Dysphagia affects about one in seven older adults here, or roughly 15 per cent. It is also common among people living with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and stroke survivors during recovery.

The pilot initiative builds on the inclusive pop-up dining programme by SUSS with social enterprise The Project Futurus and elderly care operators in 2024, when inclusive dining was

introduced in nursing homes

.

While dysphagia-friendly meals are available in hospitals and care facilities, such options are rare in restaurants, leaving families with few viable choices.

Associate Professor Carol Ma, head of gerontology programmes at SUSS, said the initiative

highlights a broader challenge facing an ageing population:

the

risk of malnutrition and social isolation

when eating becomes difficult.

She hopes more businesses can come on board, including those providing halal options. “We do not have to view ageing negatively,” she said. “As our society ages, I hope more businesses can view this as a business opportunity.”

People who are younger should also try the soft meal, she said.

“This will help them develop empathy for those with chewing and swallowing difficulties,” she said. “It is something artificial intelligence cannot teach.”

Ms Queenie Man, founder and chief executive officer of The Project Futurus, said the pilot initiative demonstrates how inclusive dining can be implemented in everyday restaurants while supporting safe swallowing practices for an ageing population.

“We’ve been working very closely with the chefs for the last few months,” she said. “They have taken countless hours to learn how to create texture-modified diets, and they have also taken the time to learn about the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Framework and the EatSafe SG initiative.”

The framework is a global standard that provides a common language for describing food textures and drink thickness to improve safety for people with swallowing difficulties.

Drinks and foods are classified in a tiered system – from thin liquids to extremely thick fluids, and from soft foods to those that have firmer textures. Individuals are served the appropriate texture based on the severity of their chewing or swallowing difficulties.

Mr Kenny Leung, chief executive officer of Imperial Treasure Group, said the concept of inclusive dining was new to him and his team before the pilot. “I was reminded that dining is not only about serving good-quality food but, more importantly, a venue where families and friends gather and celebrate special occasions,” he said.

“The project opened a broader new perspective to me as a restaurant operator, and makes us rethink what we are able to contribute to the community through the introduction of soft meals.”

For Mr Shaun Foo, operations manager and co-founder of 5 Senses Cafe & Restaurant, the pilot initiative has given his team a better understanding of the needs of diners with swallowing difficulties.

“It has shown us that we can tune our preparation and service processes – making dining out a more inclusive experience without altering the essence of it,” he said.

The pilot initiative is supported by a network of community partners, including Society for WINGS, SG Assist, Vanguard Healthcare, TOUCH Community Services, Dementia Alliance International, Dementia Singapore and Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. They contribute specialist knowledge and on-the-ground support, addressing gaps in support for people with dysphagia, and connecting older adults and caregivers to inclusive dining opportunities.

Following the pilot scheme, both restaurants plan to continue offering the inclusive dining menu, but advance orders are required. The prices of some of the items may differ from those for the regular items, depending on the complexity of the preparation.

For example, barbecue pork with honey sauce is priced at $32 on Imperial Treasure’s inclusive menu, but costs $26 normally. The soft-meal version adds a gelling enzyme and stock to the pork to create the desired texture.

SUSS is also working with the restaurant operators on capacity building beyond the dining floor. This includes training kitchen and front-line staff, co-developing menus and providing practical tools to support soft-meal preparation.

The university has also organised public education seminars and workshops to increase awareness of an inclusive dining culture in Singapore, in response to the needs of an ageing society.

Ms Mary Chow, 86, welcomed inclusive dining. Her husband Ernst Kwee, 92, who lives in a nursing home, has dementia and may develop dysphagia in the later stages.

“This initiative responds to emerging needs and helps build a society where ageing needs are met so nobody is left behind,” she said. “I hope there will be more and more such choices in the near future.”