Question:
Is there any other food besides cottage cheese?

I am still pre-op, but I was wondering. I hate cottage cheese, despise the stuff. Is there any other food that we can use post-op to measure pouch size? Everything I have read says only cottage cheese. I don't know that I can even gag this stuff down in order to measure. Thanks in advance for all your help.    — Stacey C. (posted on May 7, 2002)

May 6, 2002
I would think you could you just plain old yogurt. They are very much the same consistancy. Hope that helps.
   — Kendra A.

May 6, 2002
i too belong to the "we hate cottage cheese" group. But, my mom always used to make what we referred to as "green slime". it was awesome. it's just sugar free pudding mixed in with cottage cheese, and probably some sugar free whipped cream too. i cannot gag down cottage cheese alone, so that will be my next thing. try different flavors of pudding with it. (open rny 5-2-02)
   — candymom64

May 7, 2002
It is not a requirement that you do the cottage cheese test. People do it when they think their pouch may hold too much or they may have a staple line disruption. My guess is that the great majority of people on this site who are post-op have never done one.
   — garw

May 7, 2002
I ate Ricotta Cheese and Hummus. Now I can't stand looking at them but they worked wonders at the time. Good luck!
   — Ann B.

May 7, 2002
I think yogurt would go through your pouch too fast as I could eat a container of yogurt soon post op but not nearly as much cottage cheese. Once your dr releases you to eat it, I think that fairly stiff oatmeal might do the trick as long as you make sure it is not too liquidy. Almost everybody can eat oatmeal! =) Cottage cheese, on the other hand, is an acquired taste. You might try Breakstones with a little lemon or lime juice and a couple of packets of Splenda. It tastes kind of like key lime pie to me. I won't eat any other cottage cheese but Breakstones because it tastes better to me. Good luck!
   — ctyst

May 8, 2002
My doctor makes us do the cottage cheese test at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. I HATE cottage cheese (he told me it was all in my head that there is no taste to it). My doctors assistant said to use very stiff oatmeal. Nothing else would work the same (according to him). I am so thankful there is another option. I like oatmeal.
   — Lisa Marie D.

May 8, 2002
Stacey, I didn't like cottage cheese preop and now it is my favorite food. (I havent'tried much yet, I'm still on soft foods.) My nutritionists says sometimes our taste buds change and to try foods I might not have liked preop. BTW, the cottage cheese test isn't a necessity. If your doctor doesn't require it, then you may not need to do it. If you do do it, don't do it soon after your surgery.
   — Lisa N M.

May 8, 2002
Cottage cheese is definately not a requirement, but just a hint on a couple of yummy ways to eat it... Mix some ( I eat the breakstone 2%, individual 4 oz. containers) with a packet of Splenda or Equal and Cinnamin... tastes like rice pudding (really!) Also, mix it with some SF Strawberry or peach preserves ( Smuckers is really good)... Yum! Try it, you might like it! Good luck...
   — Vicki K.