Question:
What types of things can you eat once you hit a regular food diet?

I just hit this stage today and my diet has been so bland up to this point. Please, let me know of something interesting to add now that I am finally out of the pureed stage.    — Red T. (posted on March 20, 2003)

March 20, 2003
Have you spoke with your doctor about what you can eat? My doctor had me on full liquids for 6 weeks and then at my 6 week check up said, you can eat anything you want unless it bothers you. Our nutritionist isnt very knowledgeable of wls stuff so i went by what he said. I eat anything and everything i want that is healthy for me. Its a low fat, low sugar diet for the rest of your life now. He did say that beef might be harder to digest then turkey or chicken, and he said to eat fruits and veggies like before. I am 8 weeks out and i eat salads with chicken, i eat green beans, zucchini, raw veggies and fruits, i eat pita sandwiches (when i eat bread it hurts, i had a problem with arbys jr roast beef, i took two bites with 1/2 bun and started having problems breathing cause i was so full, i had to learn the hard way right) pita bread is thinner and dryer, you can toast it or bake it with your meat and cheese in it. I eat tuna sometimes. It trips me out that my nutritionist had a list of foods not to eat and on it was raw fruits and veggies, i thought i wouldnt ever be able to eat them again unless they were cooked, not a problem at all. I hope this helps a little, Some starter soft foods that I have tried is, meatloaf (i hate everyones but mine, the recipe is lean or extra lean ground beef, 2 eggs, green peppers, onion, oats, a-1 steak sauce and mix it all together, then form a loaf or two and top with mixture of katchup and a-1 sauce bake until done at 350-400. Tuna salad on crackers is a good soft food, baked potato, mashed potatoes, chicken of course, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, tomato soup made with milk. Good luck, i hope you get more answers.
   — rachel W.

March 20, 2003
AFter the puree stage: the SOFT FOOD stage: hmmm, lets see, white fish, shrimp, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese ( I liked it with a tsp of marinara sauce, heated in the micro), yofurt, cheese, yams, deviled crab, I bought a mini chopper and minced ham with a little mayo and musturd and had it on crackers. I had salad at 8 weeks. No hard veggies til 12 weeks though- And no corn, raisins or grapes til 6 mo to a year!
   — ~~Stacie~~

March 20, 2003
Hmmm....after pureed foods, I was told to eat what I wanted as long as I chewed it VERY thoroughly and ate slowly until I was satisfied...not full. My very first meal after I left the Dr.'s office that day was white bean chicken chili and boy did it taste good!( all four bites of it! lol) I wouldn't have any breads or gummy things. Crisp carbs are ok ie..crackers, small bits of toast, tortilla shells. I would also stick to trying one thing at a time and then if it goes ok, then try the next thing. Don't cook meats until they are dry. You want them moist. I'd stay away from raisins, grapes, celery and stingy things. Good luck to you!
   — Leah H.

March 20, 2003
canned corned beef cooked with a bit of cabbage - go easy on the cabbage since it can be a gas inducer (but it helps keep me regular). Nice thing about the canned corned beef is it's high in protien, settles well on the stomach and is shredded into tiny pieces for easy chewing. Also I loved peeled, chopped tomatoes with a bit of dressing early on. My first salad :>) Tuna on crackers was a favorite but lots of tuna and little cracker since white flour things made/make me dump. Cheese spread (canned or what have you) on crackers. Moz cheese sticks - still eat these every morning for breakfast and have since I was released to real food. One of the few cheeses I could chew to mush without it leaving a sour flavor in my mouth. Almonds chewed well - lots of protein with healthy fat.
   — [Deactivated Member]

March 21, 2003
Has your doctor told you that you are on a soft diet, or did they just say, "regular" food. there is a difference! For soft foods, which is usually the next stage for a few weeks, its things like steamed fish, mushy vegetables, tuna salad on crackers, crab cakes, eggsalad and scrambled eggs, toast, refried beans, chili. Regular foods means just that, anything you'd like, just ensure tiny bites, chewed very well and spaced a minute or so apart until you know if the new tummy can handle it.
   — Cindy R.