BBQ food

I got invited to a barbecue. Any suggestions on the best options for eating would be? I don't want to appear strange. People do not know about my surgery. I will have to eat something, for the sake of appearances.

There is always the option to eat before you go and tell people "Oh, I already ate so I'm not hungry right now." Or you can tell people that you just got over a stomach bug and don't want to push your luck.

In lieu of that - hamburgers and hot dogs are probably a safe option. If there's actual barbecued (i.e., smoked) food, anything that's served dry (not coated with BBQ sauce) would be a good option. Smoked pulled pork, for example. There might be some sugar in the rub, but not enough to screw you up. If someone is grilling chicken breasts, you could ask for them to do one without the sauce for you. If someone is grilling fish, same thing.

Honestly though, you're pretty newly post-op, right? I wouldn't want to risk eating something out that I hadn't eaten at home first, because you never know how your body will react. I think that pre-gaming the BBQ and eating before you go is the best plan here. Then always have a drink (of water) in your hand.

Your signature line says 8 weeks post-surgery, so I think any meat with no sauce would be fine. A little tossed salad to go with it, or veggies from a veggie platter would be great. Deviled eggs are good protein...they may have sugar in them but I wouldn't think much.

You want to stay away from mayo based salads because they're going to be potato or macaroni, very high in carbs; baked beans will have tons of sugar/brown sugar probably.

I do agree with Gwen about not eating something new, that could be a big mistake and potentially ruin your day. One thing about barbecues, they're usually all about meat, so protein should be pretty easy!

If anyone mentions how much you eat, just tell them you're not very hungry, you ate a big lunch, yada yada yada lol

I do want to avoid getting sick. That happened only once, sashimi. And it was very memorable in the worst way. Thanks for your responses. Very helpful. Going to be extremely conservative, look for plain meat and eggs, and if anyone asks will say I am not really hungry. Which is true, I am never hungry post op!

Getting sick really sticks with you. It's a horrible feeling. I have only gotten actually sick once. I ate an oz of baked fish. I don't know what happened but it just sat wrong and I was so sick for an hour!

Mine was three thin, quarter sized pieces of sashimi. Within a couple of minutes... well, horrible feeling and super intense vomiting. I haven't had sashimi again. Was one of my old faves!

You could also take what ever you are allowed, and simply say you are on a specific doctor ordered diet.

Whenever at these types of events, parties, buffets etc., always aim yourself to meats and cheeses, then vegetables. It won't take long to fill up. If you find a bit or two left for a small dessert, allow it as long as you've had your protein, for you don't have enough room to get into trouble.