Question:
How soon after surgery can I have a salad?
It's been 8 weeks this week and I am really craving a salad? Is it ok to have one this soon out? I've found that with things like broccoli and squash it makes me dump, I don't want to go through that anymore than I have to. Will salas cause me to dump? — Stephany W. (posted on March 12, 2002)
March 12, 2002
I can eat about a cup of salad with no dumping at all. That means lettuce
with an occational cucumber or tomato. NO carrots, green or red peppers or
broccoli. Those make me SICK. Plain lettuce with dressing works just fine
for me though. My nutritionist said to add beef and raw veggies last as
they are the hardest on the pouch. He said to wait till 3 months. I'm sure
every one's guy says something different, so follow what your's says. :-)
Ps- I'm 6.5 weeks out.
— Paula Prichard
March 12, 2002
I had salad about 8 weeks post-op. I only ate a very small amount but it
didn't bother me at all. And I really enjoyed it.
Are you cooking your broccoli really well - it may be a little early for it
yet.
— Patty_Butler
March 12, 2002
hi...i really wnated a salad at 8 weeks post op to i think for me it was
the cruncheness i was after anyway i found certain lettuces i could eat
like the light lettuces but the thick leaved ones and the real dark green
ones were to fiborous and bits came back up...
at 3 months out i buy a big lettuce and take the outer leaves and the lay
them on the bench singular and put other salad bits in them and roll them
up and make like a springroll out of them ..i missed salad rolls and this
makes it easier..handy to take to work as well
— Rachel F.
March 12, 2002
I am sorry, I don't have an answer. I am pre op and am surprised to hear
that broccoli and squash make you dump. I thought sugars and fats made
people dump? I am very distressed to hear this because I thought I could
deal with eliminating sugars... but vegetables? Is it when they are
uncooked? I realize that uncooked vegies and beef will be too hard for my
pouch to digest at first but I didn't think it would make me dump....I hope
it isn't a long term problem? Sorry to butt in your question...I'm
confused now...this is the first I've heard of it.
— A. S.
March 12, 2002
Dumping is caused by taking in sugar. Vegetables may not go down well and
may then come back up, but that is not dumping.
— garw
March 12, 2002
Hi. Good question. I am 4-1/2 months post op and am still scared to eat a
salad. I too had a bad experience eating broccoli and other veggies, and I
am afraid of eating a salad! I would love to hear some feedback from
others. And when we do eat salad, we need to use fat-free dressing,
correct?
— blank first name B.
March 12, 2002
My surgeon allows his RNY patients to have lettuce and tomato salads at 3
weeks.....no addition of any other "crunchy" salad items until 6
weeks. It was my absolute favorite "first food" and salads are
still my favorite two years later. I can't imagine that broccoli and
squash are causing actual "dumping".....it simply may be that you
are not chewing quite well enough. It was a big change for me to chew
until my food was "mush" during those first weeks. You won't
have to do that forever, but it will help you now to take very small bites,
eat slowly, and chew thoroughly. Also, my surgeon tells his patients never
to use diet or low-fat salad dressings because they contain more sugar than
regular dressings. Good luck!
— Diana T.
March 12, 2002
I have been eating salad since about 2 months post op every day, and I love
it! I can't imagine not eating salad. I stick to mostly the greens and some
tomatoes because things like lettuce, celery, cucumbers, peppers etc. are
actually a "losing" proposition in and of themselves. What I
mean is that your body burns more calories digesting them than they
actually have. However, I can't agree that covering them with fatty
dressings would be a smart move!Just look for dressings that are not high
in sugar and carbs but have no fat...they are out there. Eating fatty
dressings defeats the purpose of the salad! I LOVE Wish Bone FF Italian
Dressing...2 TBS. has 3 grams sugar, 5 carbs, 20 calories and 0 fat. I also
LOVE to put just plain Balsamic vinegar on salad with some salt and pepper,
maybe a little onion and garlic powder. That's what I usually do when I am
at a restaurant. One more tip, I usually make a huge salad and throw lots
of protein on it, such as shrimp, chicken pieces (Perdue makes them already
cooked and cut up)crab meat, tuna, whatever I have in the house. It's great
cause every day I just go in the fridge and pick from it for lunch and I
don't have to do anything.It's protein packed and fills me up! Enjoy and
best of luck!
— Vicki K.
March 12, 2002
I prefer the regular dressing with less sugar. You really only use about a
tablespoon for such a small amount of salad anyway, that the fat doesn't
make that much difference. And you need fat for your hair, skin and nails.
And keeps your system running 'smooth'. I hear some complaining of dry
skin and nails. My nails no longer have ridges in them and growing, my
skin is smoother than ever. For the first time my feet are smooth, I am
ecstatic about that! And if you only use a TBSP, that is about 6gr. fat,
and only 2/3 of THAT is absorbed, depending on the length of your bypass.
Remember that we MALabsorb fats in addition to vitamins and minerals. I
say live like a normal person. I do. I don't know why there are those
that continue to count fat, thats like being on a diet like before surgery.
I'm done with all of that! I have super weight-loss for a lightweight,
have only had 2-1week plateaus. 4.5 weeks post-op, 38lbs. to goal!! Oh,
and for your orig. ??...My doc says we can eat salads at 4-6 weeks.
Enjoy!!
— Cheri M.
March 13, 2002
My DR said no brocolli or cauliflower anymore it's too hard on the pouch.
— Candace F.
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