Food ideas

Hey All, I am about 3.5 weeks out and I am bored with my lack of food choices.  What can I eat now and how much?  I have tried soups, refried beans, mashed potatoes but I want more choices. Is it too early? Do I need to drink a protein shake everyday? I put protein powder in pudding but I am gettting tired of that too.  YIKES!! I just don't want to eat or try anything new cause I am scared!

First and foremost, you need to follow your surgeon's guidelines.  What do they say about what you should be eating at this point?  If you still need to be on soft/pureed foods, your options are somewhat limited.  If you can have soft foods, you may be able to eat scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, light yogurt, and applesauce (if it doesn't make you dump).  I liked cottage cheese mixed with a couple tablespoons of applesauce and sprinkled with cinnamon (add splenda if you like it a bit sweeter).   Regarding the protein shake, it's unlikely that you're able to get sufficient protein from food at this point.  So keep drinking the protein shakes, or adding protein powder to SF pudding or creamed soups.  Your body needs the protein to heal; by getting sufficient protein, you will aid your healing process and hopefully shorten your recovery period.   Regarding trying new things, you just have to do it at some point.  If your pouch is not ready for it, you'll know and may follow.  But the only way to know is to try new things (within your surgeon's guidelines, of course).  Don't be too anxious to pu**** - it's better to be bored for a while and heal well, than to push things too quickly and risk complications.   Good luck on your continuing journey -  Kellie

Don't feel bad because I'm bored too! So I sympathize with you. I'm on full clear liquids (clear broth, jello, popsicles, protein shake****il next week. I'll be starting my 3rd week post op and I can go to pureed stuff then (pureed vegetables, pureed chicken or fish, mash potatoes, peas). It's really hard to do the same thing over and over again. I'm ready for something with some consistency. I also go back to work that week so I don't even know how I'm going to manage yet. But we're going to make it through until we can try the real foods. Everyone just has a different schedule.