Once you have left the hospital, you will need to make sure you follow the following dietary guidelines for each stage of your recovery. You will be eating 6 small, liquid and pureed meals and snacks per day (each meal should not exceed ½ cup total for the first 14 days). Remember that your new stomach pouch is very small and will not be completely healed. You will not be able to take in enough vitamins and protein from this limited diet, so you will have to take vitamin & mineral supplement every day and add a protein shake every day.
At the beginning you will not be able to consume everything suggested here. As your body adapts, the opposite will occur and you will eat more than you should unless you follow the guide.
The eating plan below gives you an idea of how to develop your diet gradually. Pureed foods should be quite liquid, similar to the consistency of applesauce or baby food. There should be no lumps or stringy pieces in the puree. Use broth or consommé to get the right consistency for pureed meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and starches (see also guidelines to puree). There are 7 rules that you need to follow to minimize problems:
- Sip on fluids continuously to help prevent dehydration.
- Take no more than 2 tablespoons over 10-15 minutes. Use a teaspoon to avoid taking too much food at one time.
- Add ½ cup of protein shake twice a day*.
- Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
- Coffee and tea are not recommended because they have almost no nutritional value and reduce iron absorption if taken with food.
- Some foods listed in the menu below may cause Dumping Syndrome like flavored yogurt or milkshake.
- It is important to crush your pills before taking them. If they are long acting pills (LA or XL) they must not be crushed. Talk to your pharmacist.
*You can take ½ scoop of WHEY protein isolate (24-28 gr. of protein per scoop) in 1 cup of 1% milk or water. Glucerna or Resource-Diabetic in ready-to-take 250 ml can be a good choice (see also list of protein shake recipes).
Full fluid menu - Day 2 to Day 14
Day 2 to 6:
Each meal should not exceed 1/2 cup (120 ml) total
| BREAKFAST |
LUNCH |
SUPPER |
| 1/4 cup of Cream of wheat, pablum or strained oatmeal |
1/4 cup of strained cream carrot soup |
1/4 cup of strained cream squash soup |
| 1/4 cup of 2% milk (regular or Lactaid) |
1/4 cup of apple sauce |
1/4 cup of pureed fruit |
| |
|
|
| A.M. SNACK |
P.M. SNACK |
EVENING SNACK |
| 1/2 cup protein shake |
1/2 cup protein shake |
1/2 cup of flavored yogurt |
Day 7 to 14:
Each meal should not exceed 1/2 cup (120 ml) total
| BREAKFAST |
LUNCH |
SUPPER |
| 1/4 cup of cream of wheat, pablum or strained oatmeal |
1/4 cup strained cream asparagus soup |
1/4 cup strained cream tomato soup |
| 1/4 cup of 2% milk (regular or Lactaid) |
1/4 cup pureed pears |
1/4 cup apple sauce |
| |
|
|
| A.M. SNACK |
P.M. SNACK |
EVENING SNACK |
| 1/2 cup protein shake |
1/2 cup protein shake |
1/2 cup of sugar free low fat pudding |