Poll: Why the lack of veggies/fruit?

I am always interested in seeing the different post-op eating plans we are given and why... I noticed on the "Eatin Good" posts I see a lack of veggies and fruits... for those earlier out I understand (liquid diet, pureed diets, soft diets) because its protein protein protein but after the first few months I still see people eating little to no fruits/veggies.  Anyways, my question is this... does your surgeon limit fruits and veggies? If so, for how long? Did they give you a reason why?  For those of you limited do you think its an advantage or disadvantage? i.e. will you struggle later with balanced eating when for however many months youve been 'programming' yourself to eat a certain way?? My surgeon allowed soft veggies and fruits starting at 3 months out. My only limitation was no seeds/nuts/skins until after 5/6 months out. I was to strive to eat balanced meals consisting of protein first, the veggie, fruit, lastly starch carb. Currently I am to eat at least 2 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit each day.

This is a good post...it's something I've thought a little bit about before. I try to add some sort of vegetables where I can, but if I look back at what I eat, it's usually no more then one or two servings a day. Last night, I went grocery shopping, started in the prodoce section, and didn't find too much that fit into my "routine" I bought a bag of salad to have around, some bell peppers, some onions, a zuchinni - all stuff I use in stir-fry's...I did go outside my comfort zone and buy a mango. I rarely buy or eat fruit because, well, I'm afraid of dumping. I know that natural sugars are supposed to hit us differently then refined sugars, but I have know idea what my threshold is...I'm going to try the mango though and see how I do.  It's a great point to bring up though. I know for me I focus on getting my protein in first and foremost, anything else, I kind of look at as filler - and I try to make sure my "filler" is not full of carbs - which the starchier vegetables and some fruit can be. I know they are the better kinds of carbs, but my mind is not programmed right! I was watching an obesity documentary the other day "I eat 33,000 calories a day," and this nutritionist was talking about how this super MO man in England was eating nothing but beige colored foods - the color food takes on when it is all processed, bleaced, refined, etc...basically what he was saying is that you can judge how balanced your meal is just by looking at the plate, if it is all white or beige, you know you haven't done a very good job. Rather, it's more important to color your plate with various ingredients, and one of the best ways to do that is with vegetables and fruit. Question: For those that dump, what fruits have you tried that haven't caused dumping? My dumping threshold for regular sugar is around 8-12 grams. I've been OK, eating bananas, and I've tried an apple and was alright.

Question: For those that dump, what fruits have you tried that haven't caused dumping? That haven't caused dumping - strawberries, watermelon, cantalope, honeydew, peaches, oranges, and pretty much all else. The only fruits I have dumped on (and I only dumped on fruit for a while) are golden delicious apples and red grapes.  It was bizzar because I ate them probably every day for 3 weeks and then all of a sudden out of nowhere I dumepd big time (and I was at school - so I just had to go to class and will myself not to heave).  I do fine with them now. 

My surgeon limited frutis and veggies until we were 3 months out, because in his experience they are harder on new pouches.  I remember craving salad really badly and it was very exciting when I was finally able to eat one.  As for why there may not appear to be a lot of veggies in my menu - Raw veggies give me the "foamies" hard core (with the exception of lettuce), I have had to leave parties because I ate a piece of broccoli or a carrot off of the relish tray.  I eat steamed veggies, however, pretty often.  I've been eating a lot of sukiyaki lately and that is cabbage, spinnach, onions, green onions, mushrooms and bamboo shoots steamed with soy sauce, water and butter and served with thin strips of steak - and it is really, really yummy with lots of iron and fiber.  Before I got on my sukiyaki kick it was chicken stir fry (minus rice) that I made with steamed broccoli, red peppers, onions, carrots and those mini corn things.  So it might look like no veggies, but they are in there, I promise. Seasonally speaking it is really difficult to get good fruit up here in Wisconsin.  In the spring/summer I eat a lot of watermelon, strawberries and grapes, in the fall - lots of grapes and apples.  There was about a 3 month time period where I dumped on fruit, go figure, but now a days I'm not eating a whole lot of fruit because it simply isn't readily avaliable.   

That is really interesting... I wonder how many other people can really handle raw veggies? I personally would dieeeeeeeee, I dont really care for cooked veggies and the majority of what I eat is raw!! Winter time is a crappy time for any fresh fruits/veggies. I grew up in Florida and fresh fruits/veggies are inexpensive and available year round. My first winter here in NC I couldnt believe how expensive that stuff was and how there was such a limited availablity!! Any time I go home to Florida I always bring back some stuff to share with coworkers! I got spoiled having my own fruit trees - oranges, limes, lemons, key limes, mangoes, star fruit and grapefruit!

My surgeon/nut does push fresh fruits and veggies, but with the band, it makes me gurggle like crazy (from all the water in the fruits and veggies).  Like this morning, I had an apple, some grapes, orange and pineapple from starbucks (a fruit platter thing they make).  It was great, but my tummy wouldn't shut up for half an hour after I ate it.  Salad goes down hard too, and makes lots of air bubbles, which makes eating anything else impossible. I can eat cooked veggies just fine, though.  No problems there.  I love roasted veggies.  A little PAM on the baking dish, throw the veggies down with some salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, another spritz of PAM and 450degrees for 20 minutes, you've got some yummy veggies.  Delish!

Im a month out and I have been able to eat fruits and veggies since the beggining. Of course they had to be pureed like baby food. Actually this week I was okd to eat soft fruits and veggies, and in another two weeks I can add salads and and crunchy fruits and veggies. I was also told to be really careful with skins, and eat things like apples without the skin. My nut also pushes fruits and veggies. Most of my meals are supposed to be 1/2 protien, 1/2 fruits and veggies, and occasional i can have meals that are 1/3 protien, 1/3 fruit and veggie, and 1/3 carb.

I'm not limited on my fruits/veggies....but personally I just don't like a lot of veggies so I don't eat them.  And, I try to drink some 100% fruit juice every day which is where I get a lot of my fruit servings in....but I also eat fruits.  I've not dumped on any natural fruit sugars yet....*knock on wood*