Hi All - yes, its me again and I am reaching out about food ideas during the first two months post op. I am running out of food ideas for vegans and its getting quite boring and to be honest I would rather not eat. Food these days just doesn't look appealing anymore and its more of a chore to eat now. Any food suggestions or combinations to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you ?

I liked refried beans a lot. I ate them with cheese and/or ff greek yogurt. You could try the vegan versions of these, or just eat the refried beans by themselves.

Also, tofu would be okay, because it's soft and is high in protein. Maybe hot and sour soup just eating the broth and the tofu, not the woody vegetables? Or tom yum soup with tofu? Or a tofu scramble?

Hummus is something I've eat a lot of, although I've eaten it with meat or egg, but you could try it with tofurkey or something similar.

It must be really hard to find things to eat that are high in protein that are vegan! Good luck!

Thank you - those are all really good suggestions that I am going try. It is very hard to find things to eat that are hight in protein because of the quantity that I can actually eat and have a variety. It really limits me even more if I have an event to attend. I am looking to supplement with vitamins because I know am not getting the nutrients that I need. This has definitely been a struggle and I am looking forward to when I can introduce salads.

Hello, vegan bypasser reporting!

The struggle to eat solid food is real, and so I haven't been able to explore food like I might have. I get my 60+ grams of protein currently via my morning shake and afternoon protein water (I loathe both, but have to do it). I make sure I bump that protein up with Vitasoy Protein Plus soy milk, which is 10g of protein per 250ml. So I use that in my shake, and also in my daily unsweetened matcha latte. That covers my protein so I don't have to worry about it - all other protein via food is a bonus.

I relied on soups and blended stews in the liquid phase, and in the soft food stage I've been eating scrambled tofu with vegan bacon and scallions (added nutritional yeast), eggplant shakshuka (our fave vegan cafe does a delectable one), hummus and fresh veg, tvp bolognaise without the pasta, and vegan sausages and seitans. My dietician supplied a nice vegan plan that included high protein vegan burger patties, curries, vegan yoghurt ( which I cannot eat because they're too sweet for me now), kiwi fruit, homemade baked beans, vegan cheese, teriyaki tofu etc.

I can barely eat a 1/4 cup at a time, and at most 3 times a day, so I often times will just eat what I crave - a slice of fresh tomato, or a bean, or just a spoonful of whatever I've prepared.

And honestly for non-vegans: vegans have no trouble finding enough protein. The only thing we struggle to get enough of is vitamin B, plants have us covered on everything else!

15 hours ago, Smanky said:

And honestly for non-vegans: vegans have no trouble finding enough protein. The only thing we struggle to get enough of is Vitamin B, plants have us covered on everything else!

You're right - there are healthy ways to eat vegan, but I was thinking about how much protein you need after surgery, and how certain textures are difficult right away! Also, how much I rely on the whey protein and dairy. I've tried the vegan shakes and I don't like them; they seem gritty to me (also why I only use pre-made shakes, not powder to mix). But I shouldn't be so flip! My apologies to the vegan community!

Split peas and lentils and chickpeas, oh my... but only if you can tolerate the texture.

Tofu is a magic ingredient - high in protein and so versatile. Once you can tolerate them nuts are amazing - I ate them quite early, by grinding them down in my mouth until they were practically liquid before swallowing. Once you can eat them they are brilliant for adding high protein and energy.

Mushrooms! You've gotta blend the crap out of them, or chop them super tiny...but mushrooms are so good. Lots of protien, lots of fiber, low calories.

I liked mashed potatoes after surgery. They were on my surgeon's list...I know some programs forbid them...but they were wonderful with olive oil butter and my dietician was cool with them. Sweet potatoes, too.

Nut butters without the sugar.

Coco wheats and oatmeal were also ok on my surgeon's list. I love coco wheats because they have tons of iron.

Soups with beans, potatoes and mushrooms were big favorites for me.

7 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

You're right - there are healthy ways to eat vegan, but I was thinking about how much protein you need after surgery, and how certain textures are difficult right away! Also, how much I rely on the whey protein and dairy. I've tried the vegan shakes and I don't like them; they seem gritty to me (also why I only use pre-made shakes, not powder to mix). But I shouldn't be so flip! My apologies to the vegan community!

Not at all! I was busting a prevailing myth - clumsily, I realise. I apologise that it came off snippy (as I can see on a re-read)!

I am actually a certified vegan nutritionist - was vegan all my life until I met my hubby! He’s a meat and potatoes guy part of my now weight issues. I found a lady on YouTube who had gastric bypass several years ago and she is vegan. She has great stuff on there - I don’t remember her channel but found her when searching bypass sleeve blogs and she popped up. She is older. If I find her I’ll post it But Warrior brand Protein Powder is Vegan and I love it. I’ve used it for years. I get my sleeve in December so I haven’t tried anything post op but there are a lot of choices for you! Oh just wanted to add - hummus!