Post Op Puree Soft Food Diet

Stage Two –PUREE/SOFT

Your post-operative appointment will be two weeks after surgery with your surgical nurse practitioner and dietitian. Do not advance diet until your post-surgical appointment.

Start: Post op Day 14 (or later if necessary)
Duration: 4 to 6 weeks

This stage will add more variety and should allow for a more structured eating plan of three meals per day with a protein shake/snack between your meals. You are still healing during this time, but you should be able to start reaching your fluid and protein goals as you progress through this stage. Eat your protein choice first when having a meal or snack.

Food preparation tips:

Pureed foods: These should be the consistency of applesauce or thin mashed potatoes. Place chopped foods in blender or food processor. Add enough liquid to cover the blades. Blend until food is smooth and free of chunks. Use broth or skim milk instead of water to puree foods; water will dilute the flavor of the food. You may use herbs and spices for flavor.

Moist Cooking methods: When preparing your foods, it is best to use a moist cooking method such as poaching, simmering, boiling, stewing, blanching, braising and steaming. This style of cooking is better tolerated as foods do not get too tough or chewy and remain soft.

Soft foods: You should be able to mash foods with the back of a plastic fork. You will still need to chew foods well. Your new stomach does not produce as much acid as before which contributes to breaking down foods.

Points to remember…

• Chew your foods well
  • Make sure to get to an apple sauce consistency before swallowing
• Eat Slowly, take small bites
  • Eating too fast can cause discomfort, nausea or vomiting
• No more than 4 ounces per meal (half should come from proteins)
  • Use small Tupperware/Pyrex or ramekins to help with measuring servings
• Stop as soon as you are full
  • You may only be able to tolerate a couple tablespoons at a time in the beginning
• Only one new food at a time
  • If you do not tolerate something; leave it alone for a couple days before you try it again
• Keep hydrated – goal of 48 – 64 ounces per day
  • Try to consume 4-6 ounces every hour or take sips every 30 minutes to help reach this goal
• Eat and Drink separately
  • Do not drink with the meal and wait 30 minutes AFTER eating before drinking fluids
• Build each meal around PROTEIN – goal of 60 grams per day
  • This goal should start getting easier to reach
  • Use protein supplements between meals to help reach this goal
• Walk daily
  • Increase physical activity as able/recommended by the surgeon
• Take your Vitamins!

Foods to AVOID:

• Sticky foods:
  Soft bread, sticky or sweet rice, spaghetti and other pastas, macaroni and cheese, melted cheese, peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), raisins, prunes, other dried foods

• Crunchy foods:
  Granola, cereal with nuts, raw vegetables, salad, nuts, popcorn, chips (even baked)

• Tough foods:
  Tough or chewy meat/chicken/turkey, pork chops, hot dogs, ham, whole pieces of corn or whole peas (these may be pureed before eating them to dissolve the outer husk)

• High-fat foods:
  Butter, margarine, regular mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, salad dressing, whole milk, half and half, ice cream, cakes, cookies, pies, other desserts, bacon, sausage, gravy

• Foods with seeds, peels or husks:
  Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, figs, guava, pomegranate, prunes, dates, grapes, raisins

• No raw fish

• Breads/Pasta/Rice/Crackers/Tortillas:
  Any versions of these types of food should be avoided for the first 8 weeks after surgery

• Alcohol:
  NOT recommended to consume in the first year after having any weight loss surgery

• Sugary and Highly Caffeinated Drinks:
  Any drink with sugar, corn syrup, or fructose like soda and some fruit juices can lead to dumping syndrome. No caffeine within the 1st month of surgery.

A note on tolerance:

Food intolerances may develop after surgery. It is important to add only one new food to a meal at a time so you know what food is causing the intolerance. If nausea or vomiting occurs; stop eating solids and return to Stage 1 liquids for 1-2 days. Call the office if these symptoms persist.

If you experience issues with a certain food, wait a few weeks and try it again. It is best to try new foods at home. Food intolerances vary from person to person.

Stage 2 Puree Sample Menu:

Stage 2 Soft Foods Sample Menu: