Disclaimer: Remember post-op nutritional plans vary. My sister had the same surgery with a different doctor and we had very different plans. Foods that worked for me may be on your no list. ALWAYS check with your medical posse first.
There's not much you can do but survive this part of the journey. The liquids through pureed/soft food phase are miserable and until you start eating "real food" again you will feel like a patient. It gets better I promise.
Four kitchen gadgets helped me during this phase:
Black & Decker Mini Chopper Food Processor - I used this during the pureed stage several times a day and still use it several times a week. It is fabulous and just the right size for us. Update: When this one finally died after 7 years or so I bought this one: Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processor - Love it and it comes in a ton of cute colors.
Hand Blender (Stick Blender) - This is an absolute must for whizzing homemade and store bought soups.
Oster Beehive Classic Blender - I had this blender for 25-ish years (through the college years aka many frozen libations) It finally died and I treated myself to a crazy $$$ Vitamix and last year I was gifted a Ninja IQ and I love those both! A must for protein shake making.
Rival Crock Pot - TMI but the trick to not hurling on meats is moisture. Crock pots make meats moist.
Here's some things I ate:
Beans: I made post weight loss surgery standard refried beans with melted cheese but I also whizzed up other beans too black beans with salsa and a little sour cream and cannelini with a teaspoon of pesto sauce mixed in.
One of the first meats I remember eating was Roast Beef Hash in a can. Yes, it resembles Alpo but in the beginning you will eat things you won't dream of eating later on. I don't do potatoes now but in the first few weeks it helped the meat go down.
Here's a favorite: I steamed cauliflower poured over a homemade cheese sauce (like for mac & cheese) and whizzed that up. Here's the recipe:
Shelly's Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
4 cups Cauliflower, steamed
2 Tablespoons Butter, divided use
1/4 cup Flour (I use Spelt, higher in protein)
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
3 cups Milk
3/4 pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese (3 cups)
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional)
Steam cauliflower set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, blend in flour & seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese; pour over steamed cauliflower and mix till combined. Top with optional crumbs mixed with remaining 1 tablespoons of butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. This will make a ton... enough for family and many bariatric portions. You can half the recipe. You can add cooked ground chicken, turkey or beef to this too. Throw your portion in the Mini Chopper Food Processor and whiz away. You can add unflavored protein too... mix it in milk like you would a shake so it's dissolved or you'll get clumps.
Crock Pot Stews:
Store bought and homemade stews. This recipe is still one of my favorites. The gravy is to die for and really helps in the whizzing process. Do not leave out the 1/4 cup of wine. This cooks for 7+ hours you won't be catching a buzz from the beef stew but it really makes a difference in the taste.
Shelly's Crock Pot Pot Roast
3-4 pound boneless Chuck Roast
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 package Lipton Dry Onion Soup mix
1/4 cup White Wine (most of the alcohol cooks away)
1 whole Onion sliced
Optional: The last hour of cooking I sometimes add the following:
1/2 cup frozen Peas
1/2 cup frozen Carrots
1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms
Place a 3 or 4 pound boneless Chuck Roast in a pan and brown both sides about 5 minutes a side. Place the brown meat in a crock pot and add a can of undiluted cream of CHICKEN (yes chicken) over the top of the roast and spread it around just the top. Then empty a package of Lipton dry Onion Soup mix over the cream soup and don't mix it. Drizzle 1/4 cup of white wine down the side of the crock pot. Place onion rings on top. Close the lid. That's all there is to it!! Don't add any additional water either. Cook on low for about 7 hours.
In the pureed stage I whizzed this up it's not pleasant to look at. Is anything after it is whizzed up really? but it tastes awesome. BTW Now I eat this (un-whizzed of course) with a side of sauteed spinach or cabbage.
Soups:
I made a lot of homemade and store bought soups and used my hand blender to puree them. You can hide unflavored protein in soups for added protein. Remember "unflavored" just means not chocolate or vanilla it doesn't mean tasteless. There is no tasteless protein. They are getting better though.
Salads:
Crab salad - with a squeeze of lime and a dab of yogurt or mayo, mashed avocado.
Chicken salad - with dill or curry powder or a little pesto sauce.
Tuna salad - with mashed cannelini beans, a squeeze of lemon juice or Italian dressing.
Egg salad - with curry or dill or mix some hummus in.
Greek yogurt (or if you must mayo/yogurt combo) to moisten. I added things like a dab of wasabi mayo for kick. I use/used full fat dressings and mayo when I use them. I don't do fat free. I mean come on we are eating tablespoons of food at least they can taste good. This was a surgery on my guts not my taste buds. Feel free to substitute with the fat free nuclear waste product of your choice.
I used my Mini Food Processor and whizzed them till they were smooth. I have a lot of recipes posted in the blog for salads I basically used those but eliminated the crunchy items (nuts, fruits).
For an Italian fix:
Shelly's Ricotta Bake
8 oz of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 large Egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.
For a sweet Italian fix:
My Tiramisu Protein Pudding
or just mix SF Torani with Ricotta to taste. I still eat this now (I add a little fruit)
Other:
Plain Greek Yogurt with SF Torani syrup
Greek Yogurt makes a great dip for meats to with seasonings or a dab of pesto sauce
Shelly's Fluff Stuff (early stages version w/out fruit)
1 cup Boiling Water
1 box (4-serving size - the small one) Sugar Free Jello Mix
3 1/2 oz. (half a small container) Plain Greek Yogurt (Fage, Chobani, Voskos, whatever you use)
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup
Pour boiling water slowly over jello mix. Stir till dissolved. Set aside. Mix yogurt & syrup together till well combined. Add to Jello mixture. Beat with an electric mixer till well combined. Place in fridge for 1 hour. Remove from fridge and beat again for 5 minutes till fluffy, put it back in fridge and allow to set fully (about 2 hours) You can use any SF Jello flavor, any Torani Syrup flavor.
Sugar Free Pudding (with added protein)
Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat (with added protein)
I wish I would done this back then but do now: Protein Ice Cream soooo good (just leave out any additions like nuts or fruit)
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