Helping newbies - difficult foods. Join in to make this a reference thread.

Carrie has just posted to ask if there is a list of difficult foods. I responded by saying that there is no definitive list as we all differ. What i can't eat might be someone else's slider food - it can be as varied as that!

So join me in a thread saying what we as indivduals find hard!

What I cannot eat.
Actually nothing! EXCEPT pills. I cannot swallow even the tiniest, most innocuous tablet.

What I have to eat with great care. (But I do eat them)
scrambled eggs  and omelette
prawns
raspberries
very dry meat
fibrous meat and veggies
melon (go figure!!) and raspberries
apples and pears
bananas

Kate

eggs (i have to make a scramble with other textures or poached .. plain over easy or scramble major stuck)

Cottage cheese, mashed potato.. anything too soft I need something to chew chew chew so I add stuff to my cottage cheese when I eat it like cucumber.. and I eat only real potatoes baked and I'm fine.

All fruits and veggies thus far are okay..

The only problem meat I have is ribs - I can't chew them well enough to break it down.. but I do fine with shredded pork :)

I will say:

I have always, and still, struggle with:

Potatoes (Especially banked potatoes)
Pasta (Especially long stringy noodles)
STRINGY & SHREDDED Meats (Like ribs, pulled pork, etc.)

I have a few things that are guaranteed to get stuck so I just avoid them altogether:
Asparagus
Cauliflower (unless very well done)
Dry hamburger
Gnocchi
Risotto
Polenta
Dry chicken

I have to cut my meds in half...

Things I eat with caution:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Large beans with skin
Pasta (spaghetti, ravioli)
Sausage with casings
Roasted Potatoes that have a hard skin

I'm only a few weeks post-op so I'm not back onto a full menu yet but the one thing that I've had trouble with so far are foods that are too spicy.  I'm not sure why but I can't handle that anymore.

Found that out after doctoring up some egg drop soup with sriracha.  OWIE!

When I was first researching the lapband I was kind of scared off by "all the can't eat anymore" foods but soldiered on because no matter what surgery I had, there would be the possibility of food intolerances or digestive problems even if I could technically eat certain foods.

Now, at over a year out I can honestly say having problems tolerating (and eating) a few foods doesn't' really bother me much. I NEVER thought I would say that!  Before surgery some of my favorite foods were pasta, anything sandwiched in between doughy bread, ice cream, bbq chips... you know the story. I just don't crave those things like I used to. But it is nice to know if I ever do (and I do!) really want some of these things I CAN still have them -- just not in a major a way and that is enough for me -- NEVER thought I would say that either.   

Here's a list of my difficult foods:

really dry meat -- I can handle sorta dried out -- reheated one time meat, but if you reheat it twice then -- gag!

Soft, thick breads. Example -- a fast food sandwich bun is a no go for me so is a standard dinner roll at a restaurant. I could probably eat 1/2 of the bottom bun, if eaten in tiny bites, very slowly.  I can eat the thin half of a toasted english muffin ok or 1/2 of a medium sized tortilla without a problem.

cantaloupe -- LOVE it , but got stuck all of the 3 times I tried it. I WILL be trying it again this summer just to make sure because I love it so much.

cake, chips, ice cream -- these go down pretty easy for a lot of bandsters, but  these things don't go down very well for me. Well once in a while a few bites of cake go down easily, but as a general rule they give me really hard time for which I am VERY thankful. I'm far more likely to get stuck on ice cream or chips than a piece of dense meat.

skins on an apple -- I usually have to peel my apple

oranges  - I have to take these REALLY slow and careful can only eat 1/2 at a time

pasta -- I can do a little (maybe 1/4 cup) sometimes it gives me trouble sometimes

Trixie

Foods I cannot eat :

Nothing.  Even pills go down well.

Foods I eat with caution:

Dry chicken
bananas
biscuits or rolls in the morning --they are fine after I'm hydrated...just not for breakfast.  I can do toast or regular bread at that time though.

I chew everything with caution, so I have become a great chewer lol. Things that I cant eat are:

Bread
Rice
Pasta
Potatoes

Things that I have difficulties with are:

Dry meats
Cauliflower (unless boiled to death)

Jen

My band has a mind of it's own. Somedays, I have no issues and other days I have to be more careful or aviod something all together. I would say I have "tricky" foods. I can eat most anything if I'm careful or with a couple of minor adjustments.

Breakfast-Sometimes is a challenge. I have to eat slow and not immediatley after waking up.

Bread- I try to aviod anything white, but I do eat wheat or multi grain bread. It must be toasted or I can only eat one or two bites.

BBQ or meats- I live in Texas so BBQ is everywhere.  I struggle with most BBQ meats. The smoking process tends to dry them out. They most be tender. I make meats with soups or slow cook them to be sure they're tender.

French Fries- My band hates them (thank goodness).
I just aviod them all together.

Foods to be careful with. Sometimes they go and sometimes they won't.
     Scrambled eggs
     Oatmeal
     Steak
     Chicken

Foods that won't go, really just a few that I can think of.
     Fries or any potato( THANK GOD)
     Roast beef
     Oranges or tangerines

And like someone else said, I have a real problem eating anything in the first few hours after waking up. I usually don't even try until I 've been up about 3 hours.