Soups and Stews for cold weather and sickness

[ForeverLabradorFan 2]

Hi everyone, how are you all doing tonight?

I'm 8 months out from my surgery and so far I can handle just about anything with little to no issue. I have a question, though, regarding Soups and stews. I'm currently sick and I have this insane craving for homemade chicken Soup, but I am too nervous to even have it because it is both a liquid and solid meal. I've been doing very well at not having liquids with my meals till 30 to an hour after eating. How do I do this? Do I eat the chicken and veggies first, then sip the liquid later? Or should I just not do this till much further down the road?

For stews, I don't really drink the liquid, even before the surgery. Would beef stew be okay or would that be too heavy a meal to eat?

I would ask my NUT these questions, but she has been very unhelpful in regards to food ideas. She repeats the same basic information whenever I try to ask for information on what I should/can have.

For my homemade chicken soup, I add chicken, carrots, celery, swanson low sodium broth, and I would add some small noodles. I would then add a few oyster crackers to my bowl. I know I will have to nix the crackers and change the noodles to whole grain.

I greatly appreciate any help whatsoever, thank you!

[swimbikerun 1,036]

I go for Soups and don't worry about it. There is usually not enough liquid it is a problem especially as you have only a few noodles.

[catwoman7 10,845]

at eight months out you can pretty much eat anything. Stews just eat as you normally would. For Soups, I eat most of the broth first and then eat the solids. Or you could do it the other way (solids first, then broth), but then you'd have to wait 30+ minutes between them. Easier to do the broth first.

[James Marusek 5,244]

I am over 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. At 8 months post-op sleeve, you do not need to separate your solids and liquids from Soup. Consume your Soup like you did prior to surgery.

[catwoman7 10,845]

oh yeah - James is right. I didn't catch that you were a sleeve patient. You guys still have your pyloric valve intact, so I don't think you have to ever have to worry about separating liquids and solids, do you?

[ForeverLabradorFan 2]

Thank you all for your replies, you've made a sick guy very happy!

Yes, I had the gastric sleeve (and it was the best decision ever). As far as I know, I still need to wait 30+mins in between eating and drinking. My NUT hasn't said otherwise, but again, she really isn't the most helpful as she just stares at the monitor rather than look at me.

I do see my surgeon again next week for my follow-up, I will ask him for his thoughts on this.

As I am right now, I eat my Protein first, which ranges from 3 to 4 ounces, then I eat a little veggie, and then some carb, which is either brown rice, whole grain penne, or quinoa. I really cannot finish everything except the Protein, which has been stressed as the most important. After that, I feel like I am very full so I usually wait an hour before I drink anything. I'm averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day right now, been told to try and push it to 1400-1500, which is going to be a challenge.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Practices vary on this. My bariatric team has a "no soup/stew/cereal for life" rule (yes for sleeve patients too, not just RNY) because of the no eating and drinking at the same time.

On another note, and I know this is completely unsolicited advice, so feel free to step right over it and keep going: "I want to eat [insert food here] because I have a craving for it and I always eat what I have cravings for" is what got a lot of us to obesity in the first place. Even if the craving is for something relatively healthy, I would think twice about deciding you are going to eat something because you are "craving" it. I actually try to work against cravings rather than indulging them. For me, indulging cravings is a slippery slope. I might consider indulging a craving for dry chicken breast or steamed broccoli but I've never had those . . . funny how that works!

Good luck!

[erp 2,016]

Soup for cold weather? No Soup if you are sick? Yes as you need to stay hydrated and most people eat little to nothing when truly sick, so a little soup is better than nothing but ditch the oyster crackers and noodles- add extra veggies and chicken.

Get well soon!

[Djmohr 6,965]

I ate Soups and stews from the very beginning. Like you I just tried to make them heartier and limit the bad carbs like noodle. Like you said use high Protein noodles.

I do however put a small amount of potatoes in my beef stew but I double the meat and of course the carrots, celery, onion.....yum!

I froze some, I might have to have it for dinner tonight. LOL

Good luck!

[heidikat72 935]

I'm a sleeve patient and while we do have the separating eating and drinking rule to follow, I do occasionally have stew/soup. I've always preferred thick stews over brothy Soups anyway and stewing does help keep the meat moist and tender. I pick out the solids, there usually isn't much liquid left. I have had Soup recently as well. I just eat the solids first, wait thirty minutes or more, reheat the liquid and drink it.

I personally don't do pasta/rice/potatoes in my soups or stews anymore and avoid crackers too. That's my choice to stay as low carb as possible. .

[esskay77 785]

@ I have always been wondering about soups/stews! First time I heard anyone say that though it is what I kind of thought.

I do have soups/stews. I make homemade chicken Soup but I no longer put noodles in it. I just make sure I put more chicken in it. I surprisingly don't miss the noodles as much as I thought I would, as far as taste goes. In my head, though, it just seems weird to not have noodles but I'm not giving in!! lol. I usually make my own stock too which is why I have so much chicken available to put in. I usually roast a chicken and then make a stock from the carcass then add almost all the chicken to the Soup since I don't eat chicken sandwiches anymore, which is what I used to do with the leftovers.

Sometimes I'll just make the stock and put it in the freezer for another day or use it in a stir fry, etc.