Food help please ???

Hi,

I am now 11 months post op and am trying to balance meals for my family that are the right choices for me too.  I was wondering if any of you have a "go to" recipe for fish fillets. I bought two large bags from Costco of Cod and Halibut so that I could quickly make myself some fish if the family meal wasn't a good one for me.

There have been so many temptations throughout the holidays and this surgery has been just a tool and that couldn't be more clearer for me than the last month. My family started bringing foods into the house that haven't been an issue since my surgery but I put a stop to that quickly. I can't risk having them here and it isn't good for them either. I am always aware of how easy it could be to fall back into my old lifestyle. I have worked so hard to get to where I am and don't ever want to take this for granted. 

I have taken the advice of one of the vets and have increased my vitamin intake as well as changed the type of calcium I was getting. I guess I am just getting a little scared as my weight loss has started to slow down. 

I was also wondering what kind of snacks you might be eating later in the evening that are good choices. I am looking for something new or maybe something I hadn't thought about. I have been making some hummus recipes but haven't quite found one I like yet. I've been through a lot of canned chick peas lol.

Thank you ;)

Hi

It sure does become more difficult the further out eh?

Vitamins - I just want to caution you on taking extra without blood work to verify what you require.  Everything you ingest affects ( effects?) something else in your body.  You do not slough off all extra - some you do but some can be life threatening.  Re the Calcium - ensure it is citrate - and stick to the dose you have been prescribed by your centre until they indicate otherwise.  Ok - vitamin rant over!

Food - You are so smart to keep "stuff" out of your home if possible.  I am so glad for you that your family will comply.

Fish - I love fish and eat it several ways - also the recipe forum has many ideas - or PM Tracey112205 for some great ideas - she is quite the gourmand and her recipes aren't difficult. 

White fish in particular needs something eh?  Trout and salmon are OK on their own for me - but plain white fish can be a little dull.  I like to coat it in panko and crisp it up in the fry pan with a little spray.  Butter tastes the best but spray works just fine.  I also find tzatziki sauce is great on fish.  I purchase it ready made and just love the flavor.  I love buttery fish like Chilean sea bass with nothing added to it- however its pricey.  I like steak like fish ( halibut - swordfish ) done on the grill with evo and lemon or capers added.  Recipe forum will have many ideas.

Snacks - I have to save calories for night time snacking - I do not sleep well if I go to bed hungry.  Lately my go to snack has been Source dessert yogurt - love the flavor of the lemon - sometimes with berries and a bit of low fat granola.  I am also loving s/f jello with low fat cool whip for dessert - go figure - cant eat jello without the cool whip but love it with a big dose on top.

I used to save 6 triscuits with cheese on top melted in the micro for my nighttime snack.  However - I found the number of crackers kept creeping up and up until I was having 10.  The calories were just too much for me to include in my day. 

I like oranges at night when they are good and juicy - hate them when they are fibrous. 

I think my favorite and what gets me thru that night time stage of wanting to eat is yogurt with a few berries and no more then 1TB of granola.  I get sweet and savory and feel satisfied.  Its about a 75 - 150 calorie snack depending on size and I find it filling.  I use 80 calorie Greek yogurt when in Florida with the granola.

I hope some of this helps.  Find foods you like and try to stick with it.  I save much of my experimentation for eating out.  I am at the point that I like my food prepared with simple ingredients - pepper is my friend.

Good luck

Ohh my fave snack.. triscuits with melted cheese but I add hot pepper rings to mine OMG... 

I don't do a lot of fish fillets, so I can't really help you there.  But I do have some great "go to" snacks that have a nice protein hit and can be a nice substitute for worse things if they're around you.

One thing I've been eating as a snack lately (and also as part of meals sometimes) is that microwaveable edamame from Costco. So easy - grab a bag, stick half of it in a bowl frozen, put it in the microwave on high for 90 seconds, instant snack with a nice little hit of protein.

Another favourite protein snack for me is half a cup of ricotta, mixed with splenda and vanilla to taste, and topped with either nuts or berries or both. (Watch the nuts, though - I never go over an ounce, and they're quite dense with calories and fat.)

If you have a fancy coffee maker (I got my husband an espresso machine that was on sale for about $150 in the summer for his birthday), you could also make yourself fancy cappuccinos using decaf and frothed skim milk in the evenings. I know it's not a munchie thing, but it's surprising how satisfying it is.

I'm finding the munchies much harder to avoid too, at 2 years out. It's good that you're looking for good ways to cope now!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and food advice! I appreciate it.

Tara