Does anyone know where (if anywhere) saltine crackers figure in post op? Are they "mushies" or solid food? I've looked in m "Lap Band Manual" I got from my surgeon, and through the 2 books I bought on the lap band, and can't find crackers. Not that I'll be having them for a while anyway, just planning ahead.....

Thanks if anyone knows! :biggrin:

I'm able to have crackers and pretzels in my soft foods stage. They are pretty easily chewed into an applesauce consistency.

Crackers are not mentioned in your literture because they are really not a good choice for people who want to lose weight. They are considered a white starch (one of the evil carbs) and just not something we need to waste our valuable pouch space on. Yes, they go down well, but that's not the point. We need to eat protein first, then good carbs like veggies and beans and cheese. That's part of the retraining we've got to do for ourselves.

Gayle I understand and thanks....I'm well educated on the band. I'm an adult who knows what she's supposed to do. I just wondered about crackers. I assume you don't know the answer to my question!

I hope to be joining you in band land by the middle of October with Dr. Cavazos. Good luck to you today and I will be waiting to hear how it goes.

They're soft foods for a lot of people, but like anything proceed with caution. I can eat bread and things that a lot of bandsters cant dream of. But crackers of any type even resembling a Saltine are guaranteed PB for me. I cant tolerate them.

Same with fish. My mushies list said soft fish. I dont like fish much but when I do eat it, its always with great discomfort! Its something about the texture, it feels awful to eat with a lapband.

And pureed fruit. Oh my god, even the thought of it brings back memories of painful retching. I cannot eat cooked fruit of ANY description.

So just try it out cautiously and if they're OK for you, then well chewed, they are technically a mushy.

My nutritionist told me oyster crackers were okay during the mushy phase, but not saltines. Haven't gotten there yet, but I thought I'd pass it along!

My doctor encouraged me during the mushy/soup phase to crumble a few crackers up in my soup after a few days. I am still able to eat crackers, but of course, I eat them in moderation to make sure I can get all of my other nutrients in.

Crackers, no special type, were listed in my mushie food stage. Just stick to one serving and you should be okay.

I actually don't use saltines. I prefer low-fat Wheat Thins-type crackers and Wasa and Kavli flatbreads. Lots of good fiber and whole grains in the Wasa.

Crackers were in my stage 2, which was mainly mushies. You should eat them sparingly but really they're not that bad. 5 crackers is only 60 calories.

Thank you so much Jachut! It's a ways down the road for me, but as I said, I kind of like to plan ahead!

And Emilie1 I think Dr. Cavazos is the Bee's knees!

This time I got my band, everything is fine, I'm in a teeeny bit of pain (mostly gas) and am going to take some tylenol (adult liquid) now. Saving the Darvocet he gave me for later. NE Baptist has great staff and I'm sure you'll breeze through too!

Thanks to all the rest of you, too. I probably will only eat 1 or 2 and once I start getting restriction, probably not even that! But when you are just doing liquids and that preop diet I was on, it's fun to dream about a bowl of soup and a few crackers, if you know what I mean! I'm doing well and don't want to jeopardize that, but it's my little fantasy!

My doctor told me to crumble crackers in my broth. This is something I still do now the day after my fills :biggrin:

Laurinda...you mean when you are on liquids only, you can crumble crackers in the broth? (Imagine me with that startled deer look) Really?

Saltines easily become a mushy and I never have any problem with them although I eat them very rarely. When I do eat them, I usually have two cracker sandwiches with a little low fat cream cheese or peanut butter.