I've been drinking protein shakes for breakfast (restricted), and meat and veges for lunch and dinner. Oddly, I miss regular old raw vegetable salads! My ideal diet for healthy would be mostly raw vegetables, garnished with meat, and raw fruits. Is anybody out there succeeding at a similar diet with the band?

I lke raw veggies as well, but have trouble getting them to go down. I drink V-8 to help with veggie cravies, but will eat raw baby carrots, once in awhile. Lettuce tends to get suck. UGH.

I eat a salad every day, lettuce, tomatoe, cukes, onion, green peppers, avocado, and some kind of meat like chicken or beef. I use a vinegar/olive oil and fresh garlic dressing.

I also like the types of foods you mention, and I believe that's a really healthy way to eat. From bandster viewpoint, though, it seems like a lot of people have trouble eating a lot of raw fruits, vegetables and salads. It seems that these items, especially skins of things like apples, tend to get stuck. It might be easier to eat these things if you chop them up really small first, and then chew them a lot.

Another problem with this diet, as I understand it, is that if you fill up on fruits and vegetables, which is easy to do with our small stomach capacity after banding, then it is not possible to get enough Protein. I'm not sure I understand why we need so much protein, but it seems that the nutritionists and doctors are pretty unanimous on that point.

So, I would say that it should be possible to eat raw fruits, vegies and salads quite often, but just make sure you can tolerate them OK and try to get in your protein other ways.

Of course, I am no expert. I'm just commenting based on what I've seen people say here on the forum.

Its odd, but since right now im stilll in mushies, i cant hav this and im totally craving..Ive tweaked a lil though...

corn tortia- microwaved and broken in small pieces for chips

shredded lettuce for tacos- easier to eat and already cut up!

Than I mix salsa and Beans together to make a dressing that is runny so it covers more..Yum. Also cheese if desired on top and sometimes I brown the 99% ff turkey breast with taco seasonings:hungry:

Ugh I miss salads..Im hoping though that when I can eat them that this one will be ok, cause Im so used to eating salads!!!