Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

What to eat at a cookout?



Recommended Posts

So I thought this was a relevant topic given the upcoming holiday weekend. I'm going to a cookout Friday night and not sure what to eat. I'm still on the soft food phase but at my last appointment was told I could start real food in about 10 days (which would be this Sunday). Do I push it and try to eat meat 2 days early or just stick to soft foods? So far, all I can think of is deviled eggs, baked Beans and potato salad.< /p>

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a hard time at first with solid foods. I found I could eat turkey burgers as long as they were not overcooked. I cut them up into small pieces and put a laughing cow light garlic cheese spread over the burger meat helps it go down. Remember to not skip a meal because you are going to the cookout. Plan ahead, because there will be tons of options that you will not be able to eat and if you do it will make you really sick. I take my lunch box with me everywhere. Now my friends and family are also adjusting to my new eating habits.

Good luck..

Maritza

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

meat can be tricky, especially at first. I'd probably stick to soft stuff, just to be safe. It's no fun to have a stuck incident---especially at a party.

All of the soft party food will taste really good to you--you won't have to feel deprived :biggrin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Stick with soft stuff and slowly work up to firm Proteins, getting stuck in public is no fun and you dont know how you will react so soon after surgery. The flip side is since you have not eaten much of late, anything will taste good! I was able to eat the meat of hotdogs without the casing, if I cut it up small and chewed well, but not hamburgers. chicken was ok if it was moist, small and well chewed...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Deviled eggs, Beans....Bring a dish to share that you CAN eat. Make chicken salad or the like. meat is till tough for me and I am 7 months out. It is hit or miss. Don't push it.

Bring your own stuff and tell people (if you are not sharing your surgery) that you have developed allergies lately and the doc is putting you on a regulated plan.

I wish I had not been so open. Now people ask me all the time why I am cheating if I have a cracker with cheese at a party. My friend's 90 year old Grandma asked me what my doctor would say if he saw me eating veggies with dip (FF btw). I responded with "Same thing yours would".LOL

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was at a cookout last weekend and they had some crackers, cheese and meats out, so I had a few small pieces of turkey--which worked.

I've also eaten about 1/4 of a hotdog at a cook out before. It worked for me because my son ate the rest and I could just tell people I was sharing with him if they asked me about it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I always find cookout-esque foods to be the most difficult. I'm fine at almost any kind of restaurant, but have found myself at a friend's barbecue with only hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken and corn to work with. Hopefully at yours there will be some soft stuff but if not, there's always the "just got over the stomach flu" thing I've had to go with a couple times in the early going.

Best of luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I feel you, as I had to do a cookout when I was just at the solid food stage and it was all people who don't know. I chose a hotdog, placed it in the bun and covered it with a bit of mustard and a spoon of the Beans. At the table, it looked perfectly natural to use a fork and knife as it was all goopy, so no one was the wiser. I made sure to push bun out of the way as I cut it into smaller bits which mixed into the beans. i found the hot dog to be easy to chew and swallow, with no concern about it being over cooked or tough. all in all, it was a sucessful outing that i plan to repeat! good luck!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i wouldn't do meat either, i would do grilled veggies and mashed potatoes, or anything soft.....goodluck and have fun!!!:smile2:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Chew chew chew chew and eat slowly I have tolerated everything very well, just chew and take your time. Good luck!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It depends on what you can eat. For instance, it is easier for me to eat a turkey burger than it is for me to eat baked Beans or cheesy potatoes. I would take it very, very slow since you are so soon out of surgery, but I could eat just about anything after surgery since I didn't have much of a fill. Once you start eating little bites and chewing well, you will be able to gauge what you can eat. good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm only 29 days out of surgery and I started eating real food during the second week slowly and by the beginning of the third week I was totally eating. I've had no trouble with any food at all. When I went back to the doctor at my two week post op checkup, she told me that was fine. I believe it is what your stomach can tolerate. I've had steak, hamburger, shrimp, fish of course, chicken, turkey. So far so good. Just take small bites and chew, chew, chew.

Deviled eggs and baked Beans shouldn't be a problem. I'd stay clear of the potato salad. Too many carbs. I have noticed when I do eat carbs, that I tend to have a few stomach issues, so I try to stay clear of them.

Hope this helps and have a great time at the cookout.

Wanda:smile:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Potato salad is really hard for me...Every time I have tried it I have had a stuck episode. Actually, any potatoes(baked or fried) don't work for me. The baked Beans are usually ok if they still have a lot of liquid in them. I usually do not try meat at a cook out. I usually just drink a Muscle Milk shake before I go and eat lightly. I would rather socialize than be uncomfortable with food that will not go down. Make a plate....take a few bites here and there...move the food around with your fork....then put your napkin in your plate. Usually no one really notices unless you bring attention to it. I have had to really work on this because at first I felt really cheated that I couldn't eat. It is a "mind" thing. :cursing:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Onedayatatime365

      Looking to connect with others who are also on the journey of better health. Post-Op Gastric Sleeve (4/11/24).
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×