Thick & Easy Instant is an unflavored thickening powder from Hormel Health Labs, sold in an 8 oz canister. It is a dry powder that gets stirred into foods and beverages to bring them to a thicker consistency, and it works in hot and cold liquids alike, from coffee and broth to juice and water.

Preparation is a matter of measuring the powder in and mixing until it disperses. The mixture reaches its final thickness within about a minute, so what you see in the glass shortly after stirring is what you are serving. How thick it becomes depends on how much powder goes in, which is why one canister covers a range of textures rather than a single fixed one. It is a familiar item in hospital and senior living kitchens, and equally at home in a home care setting.

How thick any particular person's food or drink should be is a clinical decision. Direct that question to a speech-language pathologist or healthcare provider.