What can I eat?

[Candigrl1 152]

I have moved onto the soft food phase of the diet and have no idea what I can eat. Everytime I ask I"m told fish is great to start with and without fail I have to remind them that I can't eat dairy (milk allergy) and I can't eat fish (allergy). No one is really giving me ideas. So I am stuck eating refried Beans, split pea Soup and ground turkey. Things are getting a little boring. I have finally started adding in some veges but they want me to eat the Protein first, so if I fill up on protein what was the point of cooking the vegetables? Any ideas on what I can eat?

[liveaboard15 1,294]

Were you not given this information before the surgery? and after? I got paperwork that let me know exactly what i could eat during each stage. This is more of a compact version i was given by my surgeon. hopefully it helps you out.

[Candigrl1 152]

Yes, I was given something similar, however guess what it contained? Mostly seafood. They restrict chicken, pork and beef until 4 months out. I did try an egg. My pouch no longer likes them. So I'm kind of stuck.

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 657]

1 minute ago, Candigrl1 said:

Yes, I was given something similar, however guess what it contained? Mostly seafood. They restrict chicken, pork and beef until 4 months out. I did try an egg. My pouch no longer likes them. So I'm kind of stuck.

4 months for meat seems extremely long. Most folks are on a completely normal diet by then. I generally will always say "follow your plan" but if you are really struggling perhaps you could try some VERY tender meat - like crockpot cooked chicken, so that its super moist and soft? Tofu and hummus might also be good options. I was not able to eat anything more than my Protein for the first several months - so I get the struggle. I think around month 4 I was able to consistently add in veggies. Though I did often do Soups like broccoli cheese, beef stew, etc. and just chewed the life out of them, which allowed for a little more variety and some added Fiber.

@bariatric.meal.prep on IG has a new cookbook out that has recipes for all stages, as well as a wealth of info on her page. @theguacwarddietitian also has a ton of options/suggestions. If you aren't getting support from your clinics dietitian, maybe your PCP can give you a referral to someone else?

[lizonaplane 1,613]

7 minutes ago, Candigrl1 said:

Yes, I was given something similar, however guess what it contained? Mostly seafood. They restrict chicken, pork and beef until 4 months out. I did try an egg. My pouch no longer likes them. So I'm kind of stuck.

I would talk to your surgery center and explain to them that their list doesn't give you many options. We didn't have to wait on chicken, pork, or beef, so maybe they will be more flexible? I don't understand why they would let you have ground turkey but not ground chicken or beef.

You could also try turkey deli meat, or different preparations of ground turkey. I make turkey chili, ground turkey stroganoff, turkey taco meat, etc.

And even though I wasn't able to eat more than a bite or two of veggies, I was glad to have them. They can just be reheated for your next meal.

Good luck!

[Queen ApisM 427]

I typically hate deli meat, but during the early stages I found turkey deli meat was delicious with hummus on it.

[Candigrl1 152]

1 hour ago, Queen ApisM said:

I typically hate deli meat, but during the early stages I found turkey deli meat was delicious with hummus on it.

LOL, I did try that. It was pretty decent. I just couldn't eat it at every meal.

[Starwarsandcupcakes 2,091]

Just egg is a great egg replacement substitute for real eggs. I missed omelettes and scrambles so bad those first 4-6 months after my revision because eggs and chicken sat horribly in my pouch.

oatmeal with powdered Peanut Butter

Non-dairy greek yogurt with mashed berries

Scrambled tofu with nooch

nut butters on toast or crackers (I was allowed toast in soft foods phase)

Blend spinach and kale into smoothies

chicken salad made with canned chicken- (I agree it’s weird to have people wait so long for certain proteins)

[liveaboard15 1,294]

3 hours ago, Candigrl1 said:

Yes, I was given something similar, however guess what it contained? Mostly seafood. They restrict chicken, pork and beef until 4 months out. I did try an egg. My pouch no longer likes them. So I'm kind of stuck.

I was eating chicken, lean pork, Lean beef, fish, eggs, tuna ect... all at 2 weeks after surgery. but of course all surgeons are different.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

Are you allowed to eat nuts and nut butters? Edamame? You could make vegetarian chili with lots of Beans for protein/fiber. Tofu curry.

[Candigrl1 152]

14 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

Are you allowed to eat nuts and nut butters? Edamame? You could make vegetarian chili with lots of Beans for protein/fiber. Tofu curry.

No nuts yet. But I can have Beans and have a pot of turkey chili on. Hopefully that will break up the monotony. I think I am going to have to get a bit creative with my food.

[lizonaplane 1,613]

7 minutes ago, Candigrl1 said:

No nuts yet. But I can have Beans and have a pot of turkey chili on. Hopefully that will break up the monotony. I think I am going to have to get a bit creative with my food.

I really would go back to the surgery center and ask them if there is anything else you're allowed to try given your allergies. Four months is a long time to be eating the same foods at every meal.

[ShoppGirl 5,072]

I agree with checking in with your team. By four months I had already tried just about everything. Im hoping that with your allergies they will say your fine to have other ground meats.

[Jelani 2]

What about Soups? I'm 6 weeks out and can pretty much eat anything right now but for some reason Tomato Soup is my go to (aside from varying the flavor of the Protein Shake I'm drinking). But definitely talk with your team, seems pretty restrictive to me. I wish you lots of luck!

[Candigrl1 152]

I did eat some vegetable Soup, lentil soup and of course chili. Today though I went ahead and tried some chicken. Had no problem with it. I know my medical team wanted me to wait but I think as long as I am careful I'm gonna try it.