I am going to be banded in July (honestly, I am totally nervous about it!) and do not like meat very much. I eat hamburger, meatballs, sausages, all the bad meats but the only chicken I like are chicken nuggets from McD's.

Also, I hate eggs and milk. I will drink Soy milk with espresso added (yum!)

So I am in search of advice from other veggie banders! Can we eat cheese, veggie meats, etc? What do you eat on a typical day?

Thanks!!

Hi, I've been a vegetarian for about 25 years now. I have not ate ANY meat in that many years, don't even remember what it tastes like! No Meat, Chicken, Fish or anything. I am due to be banded in 8 days. We'll have to stay in contact and compare progress and share band vegi recipes.

heres an indian food (vegan recipe) yum yum

http://www.route79.com/food/channa-masala.htm

Channa masala sounds awesome! Is it ok for us to have chick peas & potatoes in the first month or do we need to wait a few months first?

There are several of us who are vegetarians...we have shared some recipes on previous threads, which you can find by doing a search. I was vegan for many years but then started eating milk and eggs and now occasionally eat chicken orturkey but no red meat or seafood. I use Morningstar Farms meat substitutes as well as Worthington and Loma Linda stuff and have no problems as long as I chew well. I also use cheese, although less than prior to banding. One of my staples is fat free refried beans with salsa and a little cheese. I probably eat that 2-3 nights a week for dinner. We also use a meat-loaf like roast quite a bit...but it has cottage cheese and eggs in it, so if you don't like those you wouldn't like it, probably.

An average day's menu for me would be a vanilla Atkins protein shake for breakfast (in the car on the way to work)...a few multi grain wheat thins midmorning if I get hungry. For lunch I might have green or chicken enchilada from our whole foods co-op across the street (about 3/4 c. total) or half a turkey breast wrap from Subway. If I'm getting hungry be 5 p.m., I'll have a small can of fruit jucie or V-8 on my way home so that I'm not STARVED when I decide to have dinner (if I get that hungry, I will probably overeat and feel miserable all night). For dinner maybe refried beans, salsa and cheese or maybe cottage cheese and broccoli or an omelet. I often make soups and take those for lunch, too.

My dietician suggested not eating a lot of potatoes, but we can certainly eat some of them. And chick peas should be fine, too. it's a process of trial and error for most of us...some of us can eat things other people can't...everyone's band is different in what it accepts.

Good luck with your upcoming surgery!! It's the best thing I e ver did for myself, even tho I'm only 4 1/2 months out.

Emily

Thanks for yoru suggestions!

How about Sweet potatoes? they are fiborous but not as bad as celery.

Also, my DR. said Luna bars are OK, of course they need to be chewed and chewed.