In the days following a gastric bypass, you’ll need to stick to a special diet. For several weeks, you’ll need to be on soft foods. At first, you’ll need pureed foods and the like. Then you’ll be able to progress to other soft foods. Your soft diet can get quite dull as your food choices will be limited.
Here are some recipes you can try to add variety to your diet. These recipes are low fat, sugar free, and high in protein (it’s important to eat lots of protein after a gastric bypass).
No-Noodle Lasagna
This recipe is suitable for the pureed food stage.
Ingredients:
Low fat ricotta cheese
Spaghetti sauce (look for sugar free sauce)
Grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Put two tablespoons of ricotta cheese in a bowl. Top with one tablespoon of spaghetti sauce and one tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese. Microwave for three minutes.
Variation: One you progress to the soft stage, you can add cooked ground beef to the lasagna if you like.
Refried Bean Delight
This recipe is suitable for both the pureed stage and the soft stage.
Ingredients:
Fat free refried beans
Salsa
Shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Put two tablespoons of refried beans in a bowl. Top with one teaspoon of salsa and one tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave for three minutes.
Cheese and Veggie Casserole
This is suitable for the soft stage, but not for the pureed stage.
Ingredients:
Two cups of cottage cheese
Half cup of shredded cheese (whichever type of cheese you prefer – I like it with grated parmesan)
Two eggs (or the equivalent of Egg Beaters)
One bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli is good, or broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. One cup equals one serving, although you may need to eat less than that, depending on how much food fills you up at this stage.
Black Bean Casserole
This recipe is suitable for the soft stage but not for the pureed stage.
Ingredients:
Two cans of black beans
One can of tomato sauce
One onion, diced
Two tablespoons of chili powder
Half cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT cheese in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Then sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the casserole and bake another 10 minutes. One cup equals one serving, although you may need to eat less than that, depending on how much food fills you up at this stage.
Atkins-Style Chili
This recipe is suitable for the soft stage but not for the pureed stage.
Ingredients:
Two pounds of ground beef
One onion, diced
One can of diced tomatoes
Two cans of vegetable broth
Two jalapeno peppers, minced (wear gloves while mincing the peppers; otherwise the oil will get on your hands and irritate your eyes if you rub them – it’s hard to wash the oil off)
Two tablespoons of minced garlic
Two to four tablespoons of chili powder, to taste
Directions:
In a large pan, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until onion is translucent. Add ground beef to the pan and cook until brown. Add vegetable broth, one can of water, diced tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and chili powder. Stir well. Cover and cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. One cup equals one serving, although you may need to eat less than that, depending on how much food fills you up at this stage.
