Hi I am totally a newbie and am looking into the sleeve as an option for me. I am a vegetarian, I travel ALOT and I eat Indian food frequently...rice and spicy curries. Does anyone have any advice about this? How do Sleevers tolerate spicy food.

Thanks!

Thanks all for sharing. Is it true that rice is a "no no"? Asking because it might be my only option at times when I travel in Asia.

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There isn't any real no-no food if you plan to eat like a normal adult and eat a variety of foods. I live in Central Asia and rice and noodles (plov and beshbarmak) are pretty much on every table I'm invited to join.

That said, for many of us they aren't easy foods to eat. I am more than two years out and still avoid Pasta for the most part because I can go from happy to miserable in just one bite. I'm a bit more lenient about rice but again, I have to be careful when I eat it because it's very easy to overeat something that swells once it hits the stomach.

As always, balance is important. Eating a great deal of rice first is great if that's the food you want to eat and it's a once in a while thing. But continually eating rice or pasta before the more important Protein elements of the meal could mean you're not getting enough of everything else you need to eat for good nutrition.

I have far less trouble eating seeds like quinoa or legumes like lentils, but that's just my experience. You'll have trouble finding those in some parts of Asia, though!

Oh, and as for spicy food I am a bigger fan of it than ever before post op. Now that I eat so much less, I want real punch and pizzazz in my food. I want great, flavorful food that really satisfies me, as opposed to a massive portion of something bland and tasteless.

Great thread, I especially appreciated My Sleeved Tummy's posts about curry and spices. Never, ever use the stuff in a jar at the supermarket. Find freshly ground spices and mix your own blends whenever you can. It's far better for you AND you get to control every aspect of the finished product - it'll taste just the way you want without anything artificial. If you don't have a good spice market near you, I love The Spice House and they'll ship anywhere - even to where I live!

~Cheri

OMG My Sleeved Tummy-I have to thank you so much! We got hit with a big winter storm so I was bored...so Iwent over to our local Indian grocer and stocked my pantry with goodies and made your gravy. It was so good! My daughter, who is incredibly picky and doesn't eat indian food ever (unless it is the simple recipe I posted above) wolfed it down with a big piece of naan. I ended up adding some pureed yogurt and a touch of coconut milk and then did matar paneer with the gravy. It was so flavourful-had almost a cup for lunch and having a few bites now. I froze the rest of my gravy for another time and everyone loves it! It's the real deal-tastes just like an authentic Indian restaurant's would. I even felt brave enough to drop some off to my brother, who is a bit of an Indian food snob as well and he loved it!

I'm so happy to hear that! I always get so excited when someone tries my recipes--or an authentic curry--and loves it! The gravy is really similar to what you'd get in an Indian restaurant...minus the cream and ton of oil/ghee.

Good for you for getting the spices! You can use them in all sorts of recipes, and since being sleeved I find myself adding turmeric (helps with inflammation and promotes healing, among other things) to nearly everything! Tonight I made a simple dish of shrimp cooked with cilantro, lime juice, mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala...with a little yogurt dipping sauce. So easy...and so flavorful!

Thanks all for sharing. Is it true that rice is a "no no"? Asking because it might be my only option at times when I travel in Asia.

As for the rice, I've been eating it--in tiny amounts--since I began purees. I don't have any issues with it, and my weight loss has not been impacted. (7.5 weeks out, 39.6 pounds down).

You shouldn't have trouble in Asia. There should be plenty of lentils, tofu or paneer, if you're in India.

Thank you for the kind compliment! I've thought about developing recipes for sleevers, but I just couldn't do it if it meant I had to cook/bake with artificial sweetners and diet products loaded with chemicals. Unfortunately, when I read posts about what post-ops are eating...they usually involve those two things.

I started my VSG blog with the thought that I would post recipes, but I just haven't felt inspired enough, I guess. But, thanks for the suggestion! I might just have to give it another go!

You're so right! After surgery, I realized how much happier my body feels with natural foods. I did artificial Protein powders and bars for the first few months, but all that is out now! I cook with real foods now, but try to limit the sugar and fat contents with bananas, natural sweeteners, or yogurts. Please let us know if you decide to experiment with sleeve friendly - high protein - veggie recipes!