Question:
what counts as a small meal

I'm struggling with this concept of what is a small meal. A typical breakfast is oatmeal and fruit. Lunch, cheese & lunchmeat on 4 Club crackers, a veggie. Dinner, a piece of meat and a veggie. I supplement with fruits & veggies. I do eat some other less healthy things at times. But I generally have 3 meals - sometimes just two, and snacks. If I were to go the 4-6 small meals route, does that mean I'd eat something like my breakfast/lunch/dinner just more often? Or is a "meal" an apple and peanut butter? HELP!    — Calleigh Q. (posted on February 19, 2004)

February 19, 2004
Everyone can hold different amounts of food and it also depends on what we are eating. I actually just ate a whole bag of popcorn and I do that alot. Breakfast I can almost eat 1 pkg of instant oatmeal or 1 egg and a 1/2 piece of toast, lunch 1 can of tuna fish with a little (maybe a 1/2c) cottage cheese in it, peas or beans, Dinner I eat taco bells pinto n cheese alot and that cup is about the main amount I can eat of normal food most meals and I always eat a protien bar and popcorn inbetween meals for my snack(unless im being bad and eating junk). Hope you find your answer and good luck!
   — Sandy M.

February 19, 2004
Well, I consider 1/2 a sandwich a small meal. An apple with peanut butter would also count as would what you are eating for lunch -crackers with a few oz of lunch meat but I would minus the veggie, perhaps a very small burger or 1/2 a chicken breast with a small portion of veggie...something like that. A protein bar could also count as a meal. A cup of yogurt with fruit could too...I don't think there is any rule on what constitutes a small meal, its just a smaller portion than what you would normally eat at a meal when you only have 3 of them a day. The calorie totals should be the same- your 4-6 mini meals should add up to what the 3 larger meals with snacks were.
   — Cindy R.

February 19, 2004
I generally do three meals and one snack so what I try to do is divide that up into fairly equal calorie counts. For instance, if I'm not planning to exceed 1000 calories, I'd divide that by four and try not to exceed that at each meal. That's about 250 per "eating experience." So far it has worked for me and I don't get hungry this way. I do try to be sure I get some potassium rich veggies because I did develop a potassium problem very early post-op. This was my plan fof today: 3 pieces bacon for breakfast (I khow it's fatty but it is so satisfying and I don't want anything else for hours after I eat it) 1 protein drink at mid-morning - 125 calories VERY small salad with about 1/2 oz nuts for lunch 1 oz. nuts mid-afternoon three shrimp, one hush puppy & two bites veggies for dinner I don't know exactly how many calories that is but at this point in my post-op life, I'm very satisfied with the quantity. Keep experimenting and Cindy has SUCH good advice. I just love reading her posts. She is VERY sensible and I often take her advice.
   —  SCbabe B.

February 20, 2004
the first 2-3 months post op and meal for me was literally a few bites of something. Now almost a year out, I can eat 1 egg and a piece of bacon for breakfast. For lunch a half of a sandwich or a small salad and for dinner a lean cuisne frozen dinner.
   — Jodie S.