Following the correct dietary guidelines after bariatric surgery is crucial for your recovery, maintaining weight loss, and overall health. Your healthcare practitioners will provide you with a strict diet to adhere to after your surgery.
You might be concerned that, alongside medication, your new diet will be expensive, complicated, and difficult to maintain. However, you’ll want to take care of your health long-term, even after your surgery, and the ways of doing this are simple. Here are a few of the things you should be consuming directly after your surgery and into your recovery.
Vitamins and Supplements
First of all, it’s important to remember that you’ll be eating a lot less after bariatric surgery, especially in the first few weeks. However, your body will still need important nutrients to function and heal well, which means you’ll need to take some supplements. Supplementation will help you regain your strength and allow your body to take in key vitamins and micronutrients even while consuming minimal calories.
Clear Liquids
In the first stage of your recovery, you’ll need to consume strictly clear liquids while your stomach and digestive tract begin to heal from the surgery. These liquids should be low in calories and free of sugar to avoid pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Of course, the most important thing is to sip on water throughout the day and stay well-hydrated. Try to drink liquids like clear beef, chicken, or vegetable broths; diluted fruit juices like apple, grape, or cranberry (or fruit juices with artificial sweeteners), and decaffeinated coffees or teas without any milk.
Nutrient-Dense Liquids
After the first week or two, you should be able to consume some thicker and more nutrient-dense liquids. Try to include sugar-free meal replacement shakes, protein supplement drinks such as these Best Protein Shakes For Bariatric Patients, and some well-blended soups.
While you should be avoiding sugar and liquids that are extremely hot or cold, you can now begin to enjoy some healthy, weight-loss smoothies that taste great and will help you on your journey.
Soft Foods
Once your liquid diet is over, you can start to introduce some more soft, pureed foods to help your body readjust slowly to eating normally again. You’ll want to start focusing on protein a little more, so try to puree soups with some meat and vegetables to fill your body with all the nutrients it needs in one meal.
At this point, you should invest in a good food processor that will help you to blend other items like steamed vegetables, oats, or even fruit.
Solid Foods
When you can finally reintroduce solids, be sure to do so slowly and focus only on whole foods. From now on and throughout the rest of your journey, you’ll want to avoid foods that are extremely processed or very high in fats or sugars.
A whole food, organic, and natural diet that’s high in protein and low in total calories is the best lifestyle for you to follow for optimal health for the rest of your life, but remember that food like this can still be delicious and fulfilling.
