I'm about 2 1/2 weeks out and it's been a pretty rough time for me in terms of discomfort, feeling sick, etc. Now that I'm on soft foods, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to eat. Today I was out and I was starved (that's another thing--I'm hungry every two hours). I wanted to grab fast food but the things I would normally eat--salads, soups--are off limits. Instead I bought chicken tenders at Chick-Fil-A. I ate 3, one at a time, over about 3 hours, then I started to worry that I shouldn't be eating fried foods (aka "crap"). About the only thing I really want right now is mashed potatoes, and I know that's a nutritional zero. I eat scrambled eggs, soft meats, and the broth from vegetable soup. I'm looking for ideas. Any suggestions? Also, I'd really like to know how much people are getting down at this point. I feel like I can eat a lot more than I thought I'd be able to. Thanks!

At that stage my favorite food by far was ..fat free.refried beans with a sprinkle of cheese melted on it. It was quick microwave right out of the can. I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner:) I also ate s/f jello and pudding with s/f cool whip on top. I tried to eat greek yogurt (I didnt care for it at all!) and applesauce seemed to sweet. I ate about 1/4 cup at a meal. Hope that helps....I still do not eat fried food...but chick-fil-a has grilled chicken strips too! I would wait until you are on solids though.

Ooooooo...ya, it sounds awfully early for something that solid. :s

I'm only 4 1/2 days out and I can't seem to do the clear liquids. I started full liquids and that seems to help. I'm liking cream of potato soup. I put it in the blender just to make sure there is no lumps. I have re fried beans in the pantry waiting on me. How soon did you start on the musical fruit???

I've eaten mashed potatoes with some cream of mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, chili, a few other things. I don't think I'll be venturing in to fried foods quite yet.

I ate black refried Beans by Bush's. They were a lot tastier and healthy than the brown bean paste. I found them at Kroger Signature but haven't spotted them at any other store near me. I ate them for every lunch and dinner meal with some mild salsa and cheese. For breakfast I had thinned oatmeal or cottage cheese. I didn't get tired of eating the same thing every day and still don't. I just don't care about food that much anymore.

I started on mushy foods 3 weeks after my surgery but every surgeon has different guidelines. You should find out what yours recommends for you. I'm following the diet to the T with very little cheating. If I do want a cheat food then I will only eat a small bit of it in the morning so it gets plenty of time to digest and burn off during the day.

After a bit of a setback and I had to stay on liquids for awhile longer (I had death a week post op and the crying and stress and getting sick on the return flight home made for a very, very upset and painful sleeve) I am progressing to mushies from the land of the liquids. I have tried a very mushed poached egg, some cooked potatoes (a combo of a pinky pink, a piece of a true blue a chunk of sweet and a valley white). I like the potato option and we add extra protien. It doesn't add much but it allows me to have real food.

Potato is considered a near perfect food. If you eat a mash made of different colors and varieties, you are getting in at least a little of alot of different trace minerals, AND you are getting all the benefits of potato.

No one has told this to me, but I figure if I have at least a little potato each day while I am test driving a still very iffy tummy then make sure I am still drinking protien drinks, then I can vary it as I am comfortable. I am in no rush!

I have no intentions of ever eating fast food again. I rarely indulged as is and I feel like I am in the position to just stay away from all of the crap food. I don't see them as treats anymore. Or maybe I should say I see them as "treats" as a cutter would see the cuts on her belly or thigh as a "treat". It is the same at this point, especially since we have no excuse not to understand what they put in those foods.

You asked for a list! Hmmm...

Blue Bell bullet style sugar free popsicles

potatoes, to mash (sour cream to mash)

chicken broth

tobiko caviar (absolutely full of Omega 3's and it is really good in the mash, broth and stand alone.

salmon (get this fresh from a really good grocer)

tuna - whole, solid

hummus

cream of anything soup

chopped mushrooms - to make a puree

protien drink mixes

almond milk

real, whole milk (we get ours from a local dairy and hubby skims and makes his own butter - it is sooo nice)

There is more but it's 5:30 in the AM and I am wore out, lol.

We have always been strong on trying local foods and humanely kept meats but now we are focusing on it more and I can say it is so worth it. I can't wait to be able to go to the local farmers markets and do samll sample tastes again - especially now that I seem to want more veggies than ever.

PS - venison is a most forgiving red meat. Ditto for lamb. I can hook you up with the best lamb (we are in Houston for now but we have an organic lamb farm in TN). Hope I didn't break any rules there, lol.

That's all very helpful. Thanks! Annette, I'm definitel going to start on Beans today. I've been reluctant because of the side effects, but maybe I just need to try.

Pookey, first, I hope you are starting to recover emotionally. I can't imagine going through travel, let alone a death, right after the surgery. This has been hard enough. I think you have the right attitude about fast food. I actually don't even like fast food, but sometimes just have to rely on it while I'm out. As I said, if I got ff in the past, it was usually a salad. So there I was yesterday, needing something soft, with just no idea of what to order.

My nutritionist told me I can eat anything except bread/rice/pasta, hard fruits, nuts, raw veggies, and things with seeds as long as it's chewed to a liquid consistency, and I have been trying a variety of foods. My favorite so far is pureed turkey breast with gravy and mashed potatoes.

MoonSiren: Wish I didn't care about food anymore. My focus has really changed, but I'm thinking of food all the time, and I'm sick of it.

Mater: It gets better. I ate a lot of strained cream of chicken soup while on liquids.

Thanks for all the responses! I'm definitely going to back off of certain foods for now and try the beans.

My center recommended clear liquids through day 3, then full liquids through day 7, purees through day 10, then slow cautious forays into mushies. I'm 12 days post-op and I've had a dream recovery (other than a cracked tooth, dental abscess, and root canal... but that's another story). I've never felt nauseas and I've kept down everything I've tried to eat. So, my favorite purees were:

Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs

Chicken salad: canned chicken, greek yogurt, sweet midget pickles, and curry powder.

I ate about 1/4 cup of those at a time. Usually corned beef and egg for breakfast and chicken as a late lunch/early dinner.

My first non-puree was mashed potatoes. Since that I've been branching out... my first "real" food was grilled salmon.... yum! Went down easy too.

Last night I had this genius idea that I would blend my protein powder with a little milk and some sugar free fat free ice cream. It was delicious! But I didn't want it to melt so I ate it too fast... ugh! No more ice cream for me!

My center recommended clear liquids through day 3, then full liquids through day 7, purees through day 10, then slow cautious forays into mushies. I'm 12 days post-op and I've had a dream recovery (other than a cracked tooth, dental abscess, and root canal... but that's another story). I've never felt nauseas and I've kept down everything I've tried to eat. So, my favorite purees were:

Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs

Chicken salad: canned chicken, greek yogurt, sweet midget pickles, and curry powder.

I ate about 1/4 cup of those at a time. Usually corned beef and egg for breakfast and chicken as a late lunch/early dinner.

My first non-puree was mashed potatoes. Since that I've been branching out... my first "real" food was grilled salmon.... yum! Went down easy too.

Last night I had this genius idea that I would blend my protein powder with a little milk and some sugar free fat free ice cream. It was delicious! But I didn't want it to melt so I ate it too fast... ugh! No more ice cream for me!

Ricotta cheese baked with a GOOD red sauce and a sprinkle of mozerella for an almost lasagna.