IDDSI Food & Drink Guide
Explore safety guidelines, visual textures, and drink thicknesses to support dysphagia care. Click levels on the diagram or search specific foods below.
About IDDSI Standards
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) defines international standard terminologies for testing food textures and drink thicknesses.
Levels at a Glance
A visual overview of all IDDSI food textures and drink thicknesses. Click any level to jump to its details.
Food Levels
What it means
7
Easy to Chew
Normal everyday foods of tender, soft texture. Requires chewing.
6
Soft & Bite-Sized
Foods that can be chewed and mashed with the tongue. No tough or crunchy bits.
5
Minced & Moist
Small, moist pieces that are easy to chew and swallow.
4
Pureed
Smooth, no lumps. Pudding-like texture. Holds shape on a spoon.
3
Liquidised
Smooth, pourable, no chewing required. Cannot hold shape on a spoon.
Visual
Examples
- •Tender cooked meat
- •Soft cooked vegetables
- •Rice, pasta
- •Soft fruits (banana)
- •Meatballs
- •Soft bread (no crust)
- •Cooked veggies
- •Scrambled egg
- •Minced meat with gravy
- •Soft fish flakes
- •Moist mashed beans
- •Soft cooked fruit
- •Pureed soup
- •Mashed potatoes (smooth)
- •Pureed fruits
- •Smooth yogurt
- •Thin pureed soup
- •Smooth smoothies (strained)
- •Liquidised meals
Not suitable
- •Hard, crunchy foods
- •Tough, chewy meats
- •Dry foods
- •Hard or crunchy
- •Sticky or chewy
- •Dry, crumbly foods
- •Large pieces
- •Mixed textures
- •Dry foods
- •Lumpy or chunky
- •Fibrous pieces
- •Thin liquids
- •Any lumps
- •Thick textures
- •Chunky foods
Drink Levels
How thick should liquids be?
0
Thin
Flows like water
1
Slightly Thick
Slightly thicker than water
2
Mildly Thick
Flows off a spoon
3
Moderately Thick
Flows off spoon slowly
4
Extremely Thick
Spoon thick, no flow
Visual
Examples
- •Water
- •Tea, coffee
- •Juice (no pulp)
- •Milk
- •Nutritional drinks
- •Thin smoothies
- •Fruity nectars
- •Thicker smoothies
- •Soup (thickened)
- •Honey consistency
- •Spoon-thick drinks
- •Thickened soup
- •Pudding
- •Extremely thick supplements
Always follow your clinician's prescribed levels. When in doubt, choose the safer option.
Detailed Level Explorer
Interact with the diagram, explore the syringe flow test, and dive deep into each level.
Interactive Food & Drink Lookup
Type any food item to discover what IDDSI texture levels it corresponds to.
Interactive IDDSI Lab
Live diagram highlights & testing console
Hover levels above to highlight details, or click a level to scroll directly to it.
Viscosity is checked by flow rate out of a 10 mL nozzle tip over 10 seconds. Hover over a drink card on the right to simulate liquid flow height.
Food Levels Explained
From regular everyday solids to smooth liquidised textures.
Food Level
Level 7 — Easy to Chew
Normal everyday foods
Official IDDSI colour: Black
Description
Normal everyday foods of tender, soft texture. Requires chewing.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Tender cooked meat
- Soft cooked vegetables
- Rice, pasta
- Soft fruits (banana)
Avoid / Not Suitable
- Hard, crunchy foods
- Tough, chewy meats
- Dry foods
Food Level
Level 6 — Soft & Bite-Sized
Soft pieces that mash with a fork
Official IDDSI colour: Blue
Description
Foods that can be chewed and mashed with the tongue. No tough or crunchy bits.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Meatballs
- Soft bread (no crust)
- Cooked veggies
- Scrambled egg
Avoid / Not Suitable
- Hard or crunchy
- Sticky or chewy
- Dry, crumbly foods
Food Level
Level 5 — Minced & Moist
Small soft pieces with moisture
Official IDDSI colour: Orange
Description
Small, moist pieces that are easy to chew and swallow.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Minced meat with gravy
- Soft fish flakes
- Moist mashed beans
- Soft cooked fruit
Avoid / Not Suitable
- Large pieces
- Mixed textures
- Dry foods
Food Level
Level 4 — Pureed
Smooth, no lumps
Official IDDSI colour: Green
Description
Smooth, no lumps. Pudding-like texture. Holds shape on a spoon.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Pureed soup
- Mashed potatoes (smooth)
- Pureed fruits
- Smooth yogurt
Avoid / Not Suitable
- Lumpy or chunky
- Fibrous pieces
- Thin liquids
Food Level
Level 3 — Liquidised
Smooth and pourable
Official IDDSI colour: Yellow
Description
Smooth, pourable, no chewing required. Cannot hold shape on a spoon.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Thin pureed soup
- Smooth smoothies (strained)
- Liquidised meals
Avoid / Not Suitable
- Any lumps
- Thick textures
- Chunky foods
Drink Thickness Levels
How thick liquids should be to support safe swallowing.
Drink Level
Level 0 — Thin
Flows like water
Official IDDSI colour: White
Description
Flows like water.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Water
- Tea, coffee
- Juice (no pulp)
Drink Level
Level 1 — Slightly Thick
Slightly thicker than water
Official IDDSI colour: Grey
Description
Slightly thicker than water.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Milk
- Nutritional drinks
- Thin smoothies
Drink Level
Level 2 — Mildly Thick
Flows off a spoon
Official IDDSI colour: Pink
Description
Flows off a spoon in a steady stream.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Fruity nectars
- Thicker smoothies
- Soup (thickened)
Drink Level
Level 3 — Moderately Thick
Flows off spoon slowly
Official IDDSI colour: Yellow
Description
Drinks slowly from a cup, hard to use a straw.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Honey consistency
- Spoon-thick drinks
- Thickened soup
Drink Level
Level 4 — Extremely Thick
Spoon thick, no flow
Official IDDSI colour: Green
Description
Eaten with a spoon, holds shape.
Allowed Foods & Examples
- Pudding
- Extremely thick supplements
Personal Care Safety First
Always follow your speech-language pathologist (SLP) or doctor's prescription. When in doubt, prioritize safety.